


Xehaqus : Finding out where home is

by RandomCitizen995



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hugging, M/M, Morning Kisses, Mutual Pining, Top Xehanort, bottom Eraqus, eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-11-12 12:57:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 35,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18011327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomCitizen995/pseuds/RandomCitizen995
Summary: A young Xehanort now resides in Scala Ad Caelum, at least for the moment. As he walks to yet another chessgame with Eraqus, he remembers his home world and how he ended up where he was. And most importantly, how he came to befriend Eraqus.





	1. The start of the journey

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first Kingdom hearts work that was inspired partially by a fan comic that I read. I hope you like it!

It was another warm afternoon and another day that Xehanort found himself quietly strolling down the hallways of his home, or current residence to be more precise. When he had been living on the godforsaken placed called Destiny Island, he had often wondered what other worlds lurked out there as he stood on the beach looking out at the shimmering sea at sunset, beyond the horizon. His imagination had certainly been fueled by the books in the islands’ library, as well as the stories he had been told by the elders of the island while playing chess with them. Still, their stories of grandeur worlds of wonder paled in comparison to where he currently found himself. As the sound of his boots hitting the ever so clean and squeaky floors of the castle echoed throughout the corridor Xehanort stared out through the windows running alongside the left side of the corridor as he walked. Outside of the castle was a bright blue sky, much the same as the one he was used to, even with the same seagulls, loud and annoying as always. But it was not the same place, far from it. This was a place in which he could reach all other worlds, as long he played his cards right. Within his grasp was the means with which he would finally realize his dream of venturing throughout the cosmos and see what laid beyond the great horizon.  

Well… A more accurate answer would be that within his grasp was the means to do what he wanted with more ease and without the judgment of his so called peers. He had already acquired a star shard in a chess match in which his opponent had underestimated the young islander. He had taken one look at him and figured that he was an easy picking for some quick munny. The dolt had actually had the gall to call him a cheater, attempting to take back his Star shard along with the money he had hoped to gain. Xehanort chuckled as he fondly remembered flinging the moronic man across the room and then defenestrated him; he did not need his keyblade to deal with his kind. Xehanort reached into the pocket of his coat and gently ran his thumb across the top of the Star shard. He did not feel at ease if he did not have it on him, or within his direct line of sight. Knowing that there was a way out of the world he was in at any time comforted him.  As he spent his days training to become a keyblade master that could travel freely between the worlds, the means to do so beforehand was a comfort.

The Star shard in his pocket could certainly take him to another world, but that world would not always be the one he wanted to visit, and for such a fickle device to serve as his only means of traversing would simply not do. While he knew where he wanted to go due to the libraries in the castle depicting the different worlds, the star shard was influenced by the heart as much as the mind. If the heart knew the way the Star shard would too, but if it wavered… Xehanort closed his eyes and shook his head lightly, wanting to cast out the memory of when he had been sent to a world of which he would never forget. It was a reminder that there were as many different worlds as there were people in the world, and not all of them were pleasant to meet.

As he turned around another corner his mind began to wander to the person he was once again meeting, Eraqus. The unlikely friend he had made coming to this place. When he was still living on Destiny Island the one goal he had since being old enough to stay up late and watch the stars was to escape his prison. Watching the people around him live in complacency when they were surrounded by the ocean and lived on an island whose infrastructure consisted of next to nothing besides wood that could be set on fire fueled his desire to find a way out. No sane person could be satisfied living out there days on that island.  

 

Xehanort could not for the life of him comprehend how the others he had lived with were able to live and die on the same dirt island of sand and trees, to spend the fleeting moment they had in this universe filled with mysteries and secrets to be explored isolated on one island. He would not be trapped in the island, and he would not look back. With those thoughts in his mind he had set off to the library they had in town to figure out how to get off the godforsaken island. As far as the eye could see there was water at any direction, meaning that it was not realistic to swim. He would need a boat, but a raft was the easier route, and with each passing day the younger version of Xehanort had felt more and more desperate to get off; he felt as if he was losing the precious days, nay, seconds of his life being stuck on the island when he could see and learn so much more. If only he could escape…

The other kids mocked him, taunting him for isolating himself in the library reading books on how to tie knots, fare the seas and read the stars. But Xehanort did not care. Let them laugh. Let them point and snicker at the kid who prefers to sit in the shadows and read his books instead of wasting his time running along the shores with wooden sticks. They would live and die without ever experiencing anything beyond the shores of the dull island they called home. Xehanort would not. He would know, and be known, across all worlds. He would see, taste, hear and learn all there was to be. He only needed to get off the island, cross the sea and pass over the edge over the horizon. There had to be more than this. A way out. There had to be.

And so, still being a child, he began to painstakingly build his raft. Being a one-man crew the work took an excruciating long time, and the taunts and sabotages from the other kids did not help. He had to hide his raft the best he could, his arms were aching from chopping and lugging around the wood, and his hands were full of blisters from tying the knots and putting everything together. There were not only one raft either, oh no. Xehanort built several, each one failing by either poor craftsmanship or the fact that he had not accounted for something. Being a kid that had no one to teach him how to build a raft did not help either. He almost died more than once as the raft was plunged to the depths of the treacherous sea that stood between him and everything he wanted. As he was once again being dragged down into the depths, the currents dragging him back to his prison, he felt his heart sinking with him. With each attempt to leave failing, Xehanort felt despair in his heart. But he did not give up. Because giving up meant spending the rest of his life on the same island, being one of the rests of the islanders, a nobody that would never see what was beyond the horizon. So, he gritted his teeth and vowed to persevere.

It took over a year of studying the books and trying his way through many drafts and rafts to craft one that could carry him safely over the vast sea. The project had left him both stronger physically as he had to chop and carry the rough wood with his bare hands, but also mentally stronger as every time he had failed his resolve to leave the island was tested. But today was the day, he could feel it. The wind was blowing in the right direction, the sea was in the perfect state for faring on water and the weather was promising as well. Yes, today he would finally leave the island and move on. Xehanort stood on the beach, his raft close to the water with supplies such as water and food already on it. Xehanort faced forward and contemplated on turning back, taking a last look on the island, talking to his parents, making sure that he had done everything he wanted to do on Destiny Island before leaving it. But no such emotion filled his being or heart. His parents had never treated his dream as anything more than a phase, dismissing him anytime he argued that there were more to be had than this. They called him ungrateful for what he had and told him that things could be worse, both where he lived and where he was headed. They thought he would die chasing a stupid dream. Perhaps they were right. Maybe there was nothing beyond the horizon except more water that would swallow him whole and drown him. Maybe he had wasted his time escaping the only place he could live on.

Those thoughts haunted his mind at times, when the sun burned down on him and sweat ran across his face. When he felt as if the skin on his hands would be ripped opened, when he felt as if his arms would fall off or he would pass out from exhaustion. But he persevered; he hoped for the best but expected the worst. He knew damn well that whatever was out there may not be the same pleasant place as where he was living, but anywhere else seemed better to him. Anything more than this, good or bad.

Xehanort closed his eyes to the light that shone down on him and took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar air through his nostrils that smelled like the sea only could. Eventually he exhaled through his mouth. He was ready for this. He grabbed onto the raft with his bare hands and began to push the raft into the sea, digging his feet into the wet sand as he moved forward. As soon as it was in the ocean, he jumped onto it, steadying himself as the waves began to rock the raft. He had done this enough times to expect anything and everything to happen.

 

Xehanort smiled and chuckled to himself as he walked through the empty corridor, remembering how wrong he had been at that time. He had expected anything and everything under the sun to come at him at that time, but not from above… He had not gotten far from the island when it happened, or perhaps it would be better to say that “he” happened. Xehanort was so focused on the horizon when he was on the raft, thinking about what he would discover, that he failed to notice what came crashing down on him. He had only a fraction of a second to react to the sphere of light that crashed down onto his raft, shattering it to pieces and sending him down into the merciless cold depth of the ocean. Xehanorts’ eyes were wide open as his mind tried to wrap around what the hell had just happened. Had thunder struck his raft? Impossible, it was barely any clouds today, let alone thunderclouds! It could not have been an animal attacking him either, or at least not any animal that Xehanort knew of.

Had… Had the people on the island done it? Had those bastards fired something from the island to sabotage his attempt to escape his prison? To gain freedom? Xehanort gritted his teeth and clenched his fist momentarily as his blood boiled at the thought. It had to be so. Either that or the god of the godforsaken island had struck him down for trying to leave. Xehanort almost wanted to laugh. He had finally managed to reach the start of his goal, to begin his travel to other worlds. But the world did not want it so it seemed, and so he was struck down and condemned to drown for his actions. At least that is what he supposed the attackers wanted to happen. But Xehanort had not come this far to be suffocated by the infernal water that had surrounded him all his life. He kicked with his legs and looked around, trying to get a sense of what was up and down as he tumbled around under the waves.

 

He managed to distinguish where the light source came from and swam towards it, but before he reached the surface something caught his eye. It seemed as if something was with him in the water. Xehanort decided that he needed air before he found out what it was. He broke through the surface and took a deep breath, sucking in precious air and blinking rapidly as he tried to focus. The raft was shattered, the logs scattered about, as well as his food. Xehanort clung onto one of the logs and looked back; the island was within his line of sight, but it was a bit of a distance to swim back. But he could make it; he only needed to hold onto the log and… Xehanort stopped thinking for a moment and looked down, remembering what he had seen when he was underwater. It was probably nothing. Just a part of the raft or he had imagined it as he was trying to get a grip of what had transpired when he was underwater.

 

Still… Curiosity took hold of him, and against his common sense Xehanort took a deep breath and swam back down, keeping his eyes open and trying to locate what he had seen. Nothing close to him resembled what he had seen, which had been beige and sort of black, looking a bit like seaweed. Xehanort looked down into the dark depth of the ocean and squinted with his eyes: he could faintly make out something there, something that was slowly sinking down into the depths. Xehanort was still for a moment before he reached down into the cold darkness, kicked with his legs and swam further and further down into the darkness, each kick and stroke with his arms propelling him further. He was starting to run out of air, but he was closing in on whatever was sinking. When he came closer Xehanorts’ eyes widened as he realized that it was a person sinking! He was stunned for a moment as he looked at the person who was sinking before his brain started realize what was happening and what he needed to do. Xehanort kicked with his legs harder than before and reached out his hand, deep into the darkness that started to swallow him, reaching for the pale hand that almost seemed to reach out for his as well. At this point Xehanort was starting to feel numb from the incredible cold water surrounding him, but nevertheless he kept going, immersing himself in the darkness and going further and further down…

He just barely managed to grab the hand that threatened to slink out of his grasp. But once he did get a hold of it, he did not let go, holding onto the hand with all his might and using his strength to pull the two of them up to the surface. It was a struggle, the lack of oxygen and added weight made it hard for Xehanort to swim up, but he was determined to make it out alive. He supposed that building the raft had made him stronger, and at that moment he glad for all the work he had had to endure to build the raft.

He kicked feverishly with his legs as hard as he could, and after what seemed like an eternity he broke through the surface, gasping for air as he tried to pull the person that he had dragged from the depths up with him. Still struggling to keep himself above the surface, Xehanort managed to grab hold of a portion of the raft that was still somewhat intact, and he managed to pull the person onto it.

 

 As far as Xehanort could tell the person was barely breathing, and they seemed quite pale from being down in the cold ocean. The person needed to get on land quickly, and so he swam back towards the island as fast as he could, pushing the stranger along with him. Xehanort only managed this for a bit before the person started to fall off, and Xehanort was forced to grab onto the person and drag them all the way back. When he finally came back to the beach he was beyond exhausted, but there was no time to rest. He put down the person, who seemed to be around his age judging by the how he looked. He had long black hair and pale skin that felt cold when Xehanort touched it, although he himself was quite cold by this point as well. He proceeded to check if the raven-haired boy was still breathing. He held out his numb hand against the persons’ mouth, hoping that he would feel something. Soon enough he felt a small puff of breath hit his fingers and Xehanort let out a breath he had not known he was holding in. Despite being a good swimmer (after all he had been swimming in the ocean on more than one occasion) the events that had transpired had left him completely drained, and when he tried to stand up his vision went dark and his exhausted body collapsed beside the mystery person on the beach, getting Xehanorts’ face more acquainted with the sand on the beach than he would prefer.

 

 

 

He was awoken by two hands grabbing and shaking his shoulders, and as he came to he heard a boy speak to him.

 

“-ey, hey! Are you alright?”

 

Xehanort slowly came to, opening his eyes slowly and holding his left hand above his head to get some shade from the sunshine glaring at him. As his eyes began adjusting to the light, he saw a boy looking down on him; it was the boy he had pulled out from the darkness, his raven hair was now neatly tied up in what looked like a ponytail. Looking at him more closely Xehanort saw that the boy was wearing strange clothes he had never seen before, and he almost seemed to be shining with light as he hovered above him. When the boy saw that he was waking up he gave Xehanort a toothy grin and let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank god, I thought you were dead… Good thing I was here to help you out!”

 

Xehanort closed his eyes again, trying to recall what had just happened after he came back to the beach.

“What… Who…? Who are you?”

 

The boy leaned back as Xehanort propped himself up on his elbows in the warm sand, his gaze fixed at the boy in front of him, drinking in all the details with a keen interest. The boy put his hands forward as he looked at Xehanort with a concerned expression.

 

“Whoa, easy there. You were out cold when I turned you over, you should probabl-“

 

Xehanort sat upright and leaned forward.

 

“Who. Are. You.”

 

The boy scooched back a bit, smiling nervously at him as he held up his hands.

 

“What do you mean? I’m from the island like you!”

 

Xehanort squinted his eyes as he stared into the eyes and soul of the suspicious boy who was starting to sweat, and Xehanort had a feeling it was not because of how hot it was outside.

 

“I know everyone on this island. And you are not one of them.”

 

The boy smiled awkwardly and put his right hand behind his head, scratching at his raven colored hair lightly.

 

“Of course I’m from the island! We probably never ran into each other before, that’s all…”

 

Being someone who not only was familiar with lying but excelled at doing it himself, Xehanort saw right through the dunce that thought he could trick him. As if the odd clothes weren’t already a dead giveaway, now he claimed that he had simply not met this stranger that had supposedly lived on the same island as him his whole life? It was obvious that this person was what had crashed into his raft on the ocean.

Xehanort smiled softly as he stood up, the boy following suit. The boy was almost as tall as him, but Xehanort was a bit taller. The boy was dressed in beige robes and brown pants he had not seen before, and he certainly did not look like anyone on the island that he had met before. As the mysterious boy started to wipe the sand from his pants Xehanort decided to test him.

 

“Ah, my mistake. Palm Tree Island is quite big after all. Guess I was just shocked to see a new face that’s all.”

 

The boy looked up at him and seemed to be put at ease as he believed that Xehanort believed his ridiculous claim of being a native of the island.

 

“Haha, well you know that’s just how it is on Palm Tree Island, lots of people running about! Speaking of which, I should probabl-“

 

Before the boy could finish his sentence and escape Xehanort walked forward into the boys’ personal space and drilled his gaze into his eyes.

 

“Funny. For someone who has lived on this island all his life you seem to be unfamiliar with what the place is actually called.”

 

The boys’ eyes went wide as Xehanorts’ words sunk in, and once again he smiled nervously.

 

“What do you mean? Everyone told me it was called Palm Tree Island. I guess there are more names?”

 

Xehanort pursed his lips as he stared at the boy; he was not the least bit convinced and he spoke in a very low tone to the boy.

 

“Really. I never heard of these names you speak of, and I have been all over the island countless times. There is only one name, and you should know it… If you live here that is.”

He was so close now that his breath hit the boy in the face, and he could see those grey eyes quiver slightly as they seemed to want nothing more than to break the eye contact Xehanort had established. The boy audibly gulped as he steadied himself in the sand, his mind no doubt racing to come up with an excuse to get himself out of his predicament.

 

“Well... I have never been too good with remembering names. But I always get home on time, and I really need to-“

 

The boy made a motion with his hand that signaled that he wanted to leave, but Xehanort would have none of it.

 

“Where is your home? We could walk together; I have so many questions I want to ask you.”

 

Xehanort did not let the conspicuously nervous boy break eye contact or run off into the distance. This stranger had appeared out of thin air and expected him to brush it off. Fat chance.

The boy smiled nervously as he began to turn away from Xehanort toward the island.

 

“Sorry, but I really don’t have time for that, I got to run, and you’re probably busy too, right? So you don’t have to-“

 

“Oh, but I insist!”

 

Xehanort was now grinning ear to ear as he kept close to the boy, making sure to be ready when the boy inevitably tried to sprint off and away from him and the conversation they were having.

 

“Let’s see… Where is your home? Could you tell me that?”

 

The boy only smiled awkwardly as he tried to walk away, mumbling something about not being able to explain exactly where it was. Xehanort smiled as he pressed on.

 

“Alright, but what about your lovely clothes? They look so stylish, mind telling me where you got those?”

 

Xehanort grabbed the boys’ sleeve, stopping him from walking away.

 

“I… I got those from my parents. Yeah, you know… Hand me downs hehe…”

 

The smile on Xehanorts’ face faltered a bit. Seemed like the boy could give half decent excuses at least, as Xehanort had hoped the boy would try telling him he had bought them at store, at which point he would ask the name and location of said store.

 

The boy seemed to be really uneasy as he tried prying his arm away from Xehanort, eyes darting to the side as he wanted to escape. Xehanort contemplated playing the game a bit longer, but at this point he decided to drop all pretenses and squeeze the truth out of the boy that had inexplicably appeared, the same way you would squeeze the juice out of a lemon.

 

“You want to know what I think?”

 

Xehanort spoke in a calm manner, but the boy seemed to freeze in place as Xehanort once again stared down at him.

 

“I think… No, I KNOW that you are not from around here. Not only have I never seen you before, but you are wearing clothes that cannot be found anywhere on the island. Tell me who you really are.”

 

The boys’ smile dropped as he stared at Xehanort who wasn’t smiling either. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before the boy sighed. His eyes met Xehanort and there was a shine to them that intrigued Xehanort.

 

“If I were… What would you do?”

 

Xehanort stared at him in silence for a moment. While he had been all but certain the boy was an outsider due to his strange clothes and behavior, this seemed to confirm it. It also seemed as if the boy was under the notion that he was going to capture him. It would be best to put his mind at ease.

 

“I just want to know where you came from, why you are here and how you are here… That’s all.”

 

Xehanort spoke softly, and he let go of the boys’ sleeve. The boy seemed to be a bit more relaxed at the softer tone, but he was still on guard.

 

“That’s all, huh?  Just that?”

 

Xehanort smiled as he contemplated what the boy had said. Well… For now at least. Best not to bombard him with too many questions. No, for the moment it was best to reassure the boy that he was friendly and not intent on harming him. Xehanort nodded at the boy.

 

“If I tell you, will you let me be?”

 

The question made it seem as if the boy thought Xehanort was going to kidnap him. Xehanort put his hands up in a gentle manner and took half a step back as he gave a soft chuckle.

“I promise. I am just curious.”

 

The boy, who still hadn’t said anything, not even his name, was fidgeting with his hands for a bit, most likely mulling over what to do. Eventually he looked up at Xehanort with an expression that seemed to be him trying to somehow explain to Xehanort about how he came to visit this dull world of his.

“Well… It is complicated. The place I came from is far, far away. I honestly don’t know how far. I came here with this.”

 

The boy dug his hand into the pocket of his coat and pulled out what honestly seemed to be a toy to Xehanort. It was shaped like a flower with a star in the middle, along with a bolt at its right side. Xehanort studied it for a brief moment before looking at the boy in disbelief.

 

“This… Carried you here?”

 

The doubt in his voice was evident, but the boy simply laughed and smiled.

 

“Yeah, not really sure how, but when I touched it an aura of energy came forth and shot me here. Crazy, right?”

 

Xehanort raised an eyebrow at what he had been told.

 

“It just sent you here when you touched it? Did you intend for that to happen?”

 

The boy smiled awkwardly as he stared at the shard in his hand.

 

“No, not really.”

 

Xehanort looked at him dumbfounded for a moment.

 

“So… You didn’t intend to come here at all? You just grabbed this thing and it sent you here?”

 

The boy only smiled sheepishly as he apparently hit the nail on the head.

 

“My master was showing it to the class, and when it was my time to hold the Star shard it… Well it just sent me on my way to this world…”

 

Xehanort studied the boys’ face. Despite trying to lie to him before, the expression on display did not seem to be hiding anything. Xehanort focused his attention on the Star shard as he spoke before he looked up.

 

“So do you know how to get back to your world then?”

 

The boy stopped smiling and looked down on the Star shard, bringing it closer to his face. Concern showed on his face as he sighed.

 

“Not really. Star shards can take you to different worlds, but as I was told they are unpredictable, almost as if they have a mind of their own. Maybe they do? All I know is that I need to figure out a way back to my school.”

 

Xehanort raised an eyebrow at the last word.

 

“School? Are you a student?”

 

The boy looked back at him and smiled.

 

“Yes, I’m studying to become a keyblade master.”

 

Xehanort looked at him in silence for a moment, trying to process what he had said.

 

“And do you have a name?”

 

The boy looked at him with a surprised look before he smiled.

 

 “Eraqus.”

 

The boy extended his free hand, and the eyebrow Xehanort had raised before did not go down as he shook hands with the boy named Eraqus. The hand that had been cold before was warmer now, and it felt gentle and soft in Xehanorts’ rough hand.

“Eraqus.”

 

He tested the name out slowly and the boy smiled.

 

“So, do you have a name too?”

 

Xehanort almost scoffed at that. Of course he had a name, who didn’t?

 

“Xehanort.”

 

The boy smiled and repeated the name, most likely to himself to make sure he got it right. They let go of each other’s hands and Eraqus looked around the beach for a moment.

 

“Well, it was nice to meet you Xehanort. Don’t suppose you know anyone around this island that could help me get back home?”

 

Xehanort shook his head, and the smile on the boys’ face faltered a bit as his hope of finding someone who could help him was lost. Something else was still bothering Xehanort though, and so he decided to ask the boy Eraqus.

 

“You said you were training to become a… Keyblade master was it? Care to explain that?”

 

Eraqus, who had been looking at the main part of the island for a moment looked back at Xehanort.

 

“Oh, you want to know about that as well?”

 

Xehanort nodded. The boy hummed as he tried to think of an appropriate way to explain what it was, or at least that was what Xehanort assumed.

 

“Well… I think it’s best if I just show you.”

 

Eraqus put the Star shard back into his pocket and took a step back in the sand. Xehanort stood still, the only thing moving was his hair as the breeze gently swept his bangs back and forth like the palm trees. The boy closed his eyes for a moment and then held out his right hand. He was still for a moment, and then it happened. Xehanorts’ eyes widened as he saw a literal, gigantic key manifest itself out of thin air into the palm of the boy in front of him. The boy smiled as he held up the black key, and Xehanorts’ eyes that were fixated on the key followed it as it rose into the air.

 

“This… is a keyblade.”

Eraqus shifted his gaze from the key to Xehanort, who was still staring at the giant key that had appeared out of thin air.

 

“Where I came from… We learn how to wield these. With them, we protect the worlds from darkness.”

 

Xehanort listened the worlds Eraqus had said but still had some problems understanding them.

 

“So there are many worlds? And you protect them? With… Giant keys?”

 

Xehanort looked up at the key once again, not really seeing how keys were supposed to be wielded or even used to fight off “darkness”. What was the boy even talking about? Darkness?

 

Eraqus giggled as he saw Xehanorts confused expression as he looked back and forth between him and the keyblade.

 

“It’s sort of hard to explain, but that is the gist of it, yes.”

 

“Hm.”

 

“You don’t sound convinced.”

 

“I don’t?”

 

“No.”

 

“Strange. Everything you said so far made perfect sense.”

 

Xehanort smiled as he spoke, and Eraqus chuckled as he looked over at him.

 

“I know it sounds… Strange, but you did see me summon my keyblade right?”

 

Xehanort looked at the keyblade once again, studying its shape and form. The boy talked if this was something ordinary, but for Xehanort it was quite… Extraordinary.

“Can anyone do that? Or is it something you are born with?”

Eraqus looked at him with a soft smile on his face.

“I am not entirely sure. They say that keyblade wielders are chosen. Whether that means that they are born to wield them, or if they are chosen because of their actions I do not know. I trained extensively before I could summon mine.”

Xehanort hummed slowly as he watched the keyblade in the air, wondering if he too could wield the strange blade. Pondering over it made him realize that he had forgotten to ask something else as well, perhaps the most important thing.

 

“The place you came from… The place where you learned to wield this blade, what is it called?”

 

Now it was time for Eraqus to raise an eyebrow, apparently not expecting Xehanort to ask him that question. Nevertheless, he answered to Xehanorts satisfaction.

“Scala ad Caelum. It’s got these big towers, and-“

 

Eraqus suddenly held his tongue, much to Xehanorts dismay. While he had been somewhat invested in the other things the boy had talked about, getting to hear details about other worlds was definitively something he was heavily invested in.

“And what?”

Xehanort tried not to sound too forward or forceful when he asked, but up until now the boy had no problem talking about things he tried to hide before. Eraqus opened his mouth once again and spoke, but with less excitement.

 

“Eh… I should probably stop talking. We have a rule of not interfering in others worlds, and well-“

 

Xehanorts’ eyebrows furrowed at those words. The boy seemed torn between wanting to keep the conversation going and sticking to the rules he had been taught at his school. Xehanort decided to coax him on by arguing with his logic.

 

“But you’re not interfering. You’re just explaining things to me, that’s all.”  

 

Eraqus smiled awkwardly as he made the keyblade disappear and put one hand behind his head, apparently a gesture he did when he was nervous it seemed.

 

“Yeah, but I really shouldn’t tell you these things. Only Keyblade masters are allowed to go between worlds, everyone else is supposed to stay in their home world.”

 

Xehanort focused sharply on what the boy had said.

 

“Keyblade masters can traverse between all worlds freely?”

 

Eraqus sucked in a breath as he realized that he had revealed something he was not supposed to. Well too little too late. Xehanort suddenly became very intrigued by these so called keyblade masters. Not only were there more worlds out there to explore, but there were people who could travel to them as they pleased. Xehanort had to become one of those people, those chosen few privileged to learn all the secrets locked away in the cosmos.

 

“It’s best if we stop talking. I need to get back to my world and I have already talked too much.”

 

Xehanort frowned as he wanted, nay, needed to know more. But it was clear that the boy felt pressed to not say any more, and so Xehanort quickly began to think of what he should do. The boy dug up the Star shard and closed his eyes as he held it tight in his hand. Nothing happened. The boy let out a frustrated groan as he shook the star up and down. Xehanort watched in silence, the only sound being the breeze passing through the trees and the waves from the ocean hitting the shore, along with the occasional shriek from the seagulls.

Eventually Eraqus stopped shaking the Star shard and he cursed under his breath. Xehanort put his thumb under his chin and began to lightly scratch it.

 

“So I take it you’re trying to make the Star shard take you home?”

 

“An astute observation.”

Eraqus grumbled the words as he was still focusing his attention on the Star shard in the palm of his hand.

 

“Maybe I can help you?”

 

“You?”

 

The words were definitively spoken with shock and a mix of doubt and laughter in it that made Xehanorts’ smile drop as the hand he had extended towards Eraqus fell back to his side. Eraqus seemed to notice that his response had hurt Xehanorts’ feelings, despite his best efforts to hide how he felt.

“Sorry, but I barely know how it works, and you have never seen one until today, so-“

 

“As far as I remember, the same goes for you.”

 

Eraqus stopped talking as Xehanort folded his arms over his chest, the edge of his mouth pulling upward in a small smirk that made Eraqus cheeks a shade of rose red as he tried to respond, flustered as he did so.

“Yeah, well, this is technical stuff you know; I don’t expect an islander to understand the intricacy of magical artifacts.”

 

Xehanort rolled his eyes as it was obvious that Eraqus tried to save his face from the previous remark. He decided that he did not have time to go back and forth with this silly banter. The important thing was to get the Star shard working, and then make it so that he travelled with this boy to the place that could get him what he desired.

 

“Can you explain to me again what your teacher told you about how the Star shard operates? Maybe there is a clue in there on how we can get it to work.”

 

Eraqus looked at Xehanort for a moment before looking back at the Star shard. He sighed before talking, apparently deciding on doing what Xehanort had suggested.

 

“The Star shard can take the person to different worlds, but the persons’ heart needs to know the way.”

 

Xehanort nodded.

 

“And did your heart know this place when you held the Star shard?”

 

Eraqus shook his head.

 

“No it, I mean I, did not. I suppose the Star shard acted on its own.”

 

For a moment the two of them looked at the Star shard, both wondering if it had some form of intelligence or will to it. Xehanort continued to hold his right thumb under his chin, his left hand placed on his hip.

 

“In that case I suppose… When you were trying to get it to activate before, what did you do?”

 

Eraqus looked up at Xehanort with a curious expression.

 

“What I did?”

Xehanort nodded, looking right at him with a serious expression.

 

“Well… I thought of home. Or, well I told the Star shard to send me home that is. But nothing happened…”

 

Xehanort was quiet for a moment before he took a step forward, walking closer to Eraqus.

 

“Maybe you need to visualize the place you desire to travel to?”

 

Eraqus raised an eyebrow.

“Visualize?”

 

Xehanort nodded and put his hand on top of the Star shard on Eraqus hand.

“This place… Describe it to me.”

 

Eraqus was quiet for a moment before he closed his eyes.

“Well… It has many white towers. And sea around them. There are also seagulls flying in the sky, like here.”

 

Xehanort had his eyes closed as well as he began to picture the place described to him.

“There are many, many towers, and each tower has windows, some big and some small. Oh, and there is a giant clock as well that rings every so often, it can be heard throughout the entire place.”

 

Ever so slowly the elaborate picture of the place Eraqus described became clearer to Xehanort, as if each word was a brush of fresh paint that added onto the previously blank canvas in his mind. As Eraqus continued talking about Scala ad Caelum the Star shard between their two hands began to glow, unbeknownst to the two boys. The two of them had their eyes closed and were too busy talking and listening about their desired destination to notice. 

Suddenly, Xehanort began to feel heat radiate from the Star shard, and he opened his eyes; it was visibly glowing, and instinctively he grabbed it and Eraquss’ hand in a firm grip. In response Eraqus opened his eyes as well and looked at the Star shard, smiling at first when he realized that it was activating. When he realized that Xehanort had a firm grip on the Star shard as well though… The last thing Xehanort saw as he smirked at Eraqus was the other boy trying to tell him to let go, but his words, as well as the world he had lived in for all his life, disappeared.

A bright light engulfed them, hurling them off the ground in a flash and up, up and up, faster and faster. Soon enough they were moving so fast that it was blinding, but Xehanort did not let go of the Star shard, both because he desperately wanted to travel to the other world he had been told about, but also because he was fairly sure that he would die if he let go.

Luckily for Xehanort his hand held on, but when they abruptly arrived, they flew right into the ground hard, tossing the two of them along it. Xehanort groaned as his palms and knees ached from the impact, not to mention his head that had been hit too. As he came back to his senses he looked up; above him was the same plain old blue sky that he was used to, but below… Oh it was magnificent. Eraqus description did not do this world justice; The white towers and buildings rose high up into the skies, taller than any building Xehanort had seen in any books, and the enormous windmills on top were stunning, spinning as the wind blew by. The buildings were so white it was almost blinding, and lines ran between the towers, it was all so… Overwhelming.

As the breeze hit Xehanorts’ face he felt a tear run down. This. This is what he wanted, desired, yearned for; more in his life than the island that had been his prison. Xehanort took a deep breath of the air as he closed his eyes and stretched his body out. While it still smelled like the ocean, which made sense as there was an ocean in this world, there was just something different about it, something along in the smell that made all the difference. Xehanort smiled wildly as he looked around, watching the buildings in the ocean and the people in the distance walking around.

While Xehanort was busy admiring the view Eraqus was repeating the word “ow, owie, ow” as he had seemingly been hit a bit harder against the pavement. And while he was glad to be back once again, picking up a hitchhiker that had refused to adhere to reason and stay in his own world was not something his master would let him hear the end of. Ever. Eraqus put the Star shard in his pocket and hoisted himself up the best he could.

 

“You… Should not be here!”

 

Eraqus panted as he spoke, hands on his knees as he looked infuriatingly at the smiling doofus who was staring in silence at the buildings.

It seemed that he hadn’t heard or didn’t care to answer. Eraqus closed his eyes and sighed as he straightened out his back and stood up properly, inhaling deeply before walking forward, making sure the Star shard into the pocket of his coat before approaching Xehanort. When he came up behind Xehanort he tapped him on the shoulder with his index finger.

 

“Hey, did you hear me?”

 

Xehanort looked over his shoulder, still grinning ear to ear as he turned around. Eraqus pursed his lips and raised himself up a bit on his toes to match Xehanorts’ height.

“You’re…”

Eraqus gestured to all of Xehanort.

 “Not…”

Eraqus pointed his index finger at Xehanorts’ grinning face.

 “Supposed to be here!”

The last part started off as a shout, but when Eraqus saw people staring he toned down his voice. It was bad enough this person had come to another world unauthorized; he didn’t need everyone in Scala Ad Caelum knowing about it. Xehanorts’ grin left his face, but not the small smile that annoyed Eraqus even more. Xehanort shrugged before he spoke.

 

“Says who?”

 

Eraqus eye twitched as Xehanort just nonchalantly brushed off what he had said.

 

“My master says so! And everyone else who is a master or has more than one brain cell!”

 

Xehanort raised an eyebrow at the outburst Eraqus just had. Xehanort shrugged once again and looked up at the tower ahead of them.

 

“Should we go to your master then? Are they up there, in that tower?”

 

Xehanort pointed at the tower with one hand, the other casually put into his pocket. Eraqus weighed his options as he stared at the tower. Preferably he would send Xehanort back himself, but the Star shard was hardly reliable, and he was not authorized to travel by himself yet. If he tried he would most likely get into even more trouble, and- where was Xehanort?

 

“Hey!”

 

Eraqus shouted the words as he saw Xehanort walk towards the stairs leading up to the tower in which his master resided. He quickly began to run after him, grinding his teeth together as he tried to catch up.

Xehanort was casually strolling, looking at the various buildings that were different, yet all somewhat the same. He also took the time to inspect and observe the people walking about, while also enjoying the sights and smiling as he was still coming to terms with the fact that not only had he traversed to another world, but he now knew it was possible to reach other worlds as well. He only needed to plan his next moves carefully.

 

“Would you listen to me, please?”

 

Eraqus was trying to keep his voice down, but he was quite annoyed at this point. Xehanort looked at him and only smiled.

 

“What, does your master not live here?”

 

Eraqus shook his head.

 

“That’s not the point! You can’t just run off like that!”

 

Eraqus grabbed hold of Xehanorts’ arm and made him stop, which did annoy the boy somewhat, although he did not let it show too much.

 

“I’m sorry, but I thought we were going to your master to send me back home, right? And I assume that you want that to happen as soon as possible, right?”

 

Xehanort emphasized that last word in quite the sarcastic tone, too much for Eraquss’ liking.

 

“Yes, but-“

 

“Then it makes sense to go there as soon as possible, wouldn’t you agree?”

 

Eraqus knew he was being made a fool of, and he had had just about enough of it. He tightened his grip on Xehanorts’ arm and looked him dead in the eye.

 

“Yes, it makes sense for us to go there. It also makes sense that you keep quiet and follow me instead of running off. As far as I am concerned you violated the law by travelling to another world unauthorized. Unless you want to get into even deeper trouble I suggest you keep quiet, follow me, and don’t say or do anything stupid.”

Xehanort was about to open his mouth, but Eraqus did not give him the opportunity as he was now walking towards the tower ahead of them, dragging Xehanort with him. Xehanort couldn’t help but smile as he was being dragged by the smaller boy; there was an unyielding light burning in those eyes that made something stir deep within him, somewhere in his stomach. He started to wonder how this feisty boy could get. But that was something he would have to find out later, if an opportunity presented itself. For now, he was all too happy to get dragged to the person he wanted to meet. As it seemed it would take a while Xehanort started to rehearse what he was going to say in his mind. It turned out to be quite the long walk, as Xehanorts’ wrist started to hurt after a while as Eraqus apparently was still under the assumption that he would dash off if he even let the pressure on his wrist go for a second.

Not that he was entirely wrong; Xehanort certainly wouldn’t mind walking around this world for a bit, talk with the locals and see what the world had to offer. But there would be time for that later. Or so he hoped.

 

“Could you maybe loosen up your grip a bit? Starting to feel numb…”

 

Xehanort said the words in a playful manner, though somewhat regretting it as he did not wish to spur the other boy into tightening his grip further; especially when he was fairly certain that his hand would soon turn blue from lack of blood. Eraqus turned his head and looked at Xehanort who gave him a soft smile, lifting his hand to show him what he was talking about. Eraqus stared only for a moment, before easing his grip enough that it didn’t feel as tight before.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Xehanort knew it would be better to be on friendly terms with the boy than annoy him further, and so he decided to strike up a conversation.

 

“So how long have you been here? Were you born here?”

 

Eraqus didn’t say anything, simply choosing to walk in silence. The silent treatment annoyed Xehanort somewhat, but he was nothing if not persistent.

 

“I understand that you don’t want to get into more trouble, but telling me a bit about yourself is not a crime, is it? You already know a bit about me; can’t you share something about yourself?”

 

Eraqus pursed his lips and said nothing, simply putting one foot ahead of the other. Xehanort waited for an answer, walking behind the boy while closed and opened the hand that was connected to the wrist that Eraqus still had a firm grip on. The reason was to get some blood flowing, which had been in short supply until recently as Eraqus had had a death grip on him. Xehanort silently wondered just how strong this boy really was, and if it was something he was born with or if was because he was training to become a keyblade master. Come to think of it, most people Xehanort had seen looked very much like him; when he had been on the island he had wondered how differently the people of other worlds would look, but so far everyone seemed to look… Well, ordinary. If Eraqus felt like talking to him later he would ask him about that. Or hopefully discover for himself. It all came down to what would happen once he met the master.

Speaking of which, they had now walked through several doors and up many, many stairs, and Eraquss’ pace had slowed down. Xehanort assumed that they must be close to the masters’ quarters and that Eraqus was going through what he was going to say in his head. Soon enough they stopped in front of a door and Eraqus let go of Xehanorts’ wrist. Xehanort inspected his wrist and sure enough there were clear marks from Eraquss’ hand holding it tightly for the past minutes. Not that it hurt that much, but he could have gone the way without the tight grip. Still, they, or he, was where he wanted to be, and that was all that mattered.

 

Xehanort stared at the door; it was slightly bigger than the other doors, as well as decorated with golden lines that ran along the wood and formed beautiful shapes. The room was most likely reserved for masters only. Before he could think much more about the door Eraqus turned to him, staring at him with a serious expression. Xehanort gave a faint smile, already bracing himself for the instructions he was sure to be given by the shorter boy.

 

“Listen. When we go in, I will do the talking. The only thing you need to say is where you are from so my master can send you back, alright?”

 

Xehanort had to summon all his strength not to grin at the raven-haired boy who honestly thought he was not only going to listen to all his demands, but also do as he was told. He nodded nonetheless, keeping his smile small and not sarcastic. Eraqus searched his eyes for something, what it was Xehanort could not say. Perhaps he was already aware of the fact that Xehanort had no plans to do as he was told. Perhaps not. Either way Eraqus shifted his gaze back to the door and sighed before he slowly brought his right hand up and gave to knocks to the door. He retreated his hand quickly and bit his lower lip, shifting his stance as he looked very tense very before the silent wooden door.

Xehanort grew silent as well, suddenly wondering what kind of person this master was that the boy was so tense about bringing him to them. Then again, he was obviously in trouble due to Xehanort being in the world with him, so that could explain it.

 

“Come in!”

The voice of a woman could be heard inside, and Eraqus inhaled and exhaled quickly before he put his left hand on the handle and pushed it down slowly. The wooden door slid open without a creak and Eraqus went in first, Xehanort following, looking at the room inside. It was quite spacious, with tall bookshelves with books on each row. On one of the walls a keyblade was mounted, and Xehanort studied it. The design was vastly different from the one Eraqus had, so much so that it resembled an actual blade more than a key. In front of them stood a woman in front of a desk, and behind the desk there was a very large window with white curtains.

 

“Oh, Eraqus! You’re back! I’m so glad, I was worried about you, and… Who do we have here then?”

 

Xehanort looked at the woman who was wearing somewhat similar robes to Eraqus, but not quite. She had grey hair like him, though his had a brighter color and was more silver than grey if he said so himself. She was old as evident by the lines engraved in her face, but she seemed to be in top form and quite cheery as well for someone who had managed to lose a student. She was looking at him with curious eyes, yet there was something very analyzing about them that made Xehanort tense. Eraqus cleared his throat and brought the masters’ attention back to him.

 

“Yes, well you see… The Star shard brought me to another world, and it took me some time to get back.”

 

The master, who Xehanort still did not know the name of, nodded and smiled a bit awkwardly as she looked at Eraqus.

 

“Yes, Star shards are quite fickle things! I had thought that I could show it off to you, but it appears it had other plans ha-ha!”

 

Xehanort glanced at Eraqus with slight concern on his face; did his master think it was funny that one of her students had been sent off to god knows where? His train of thought was interrupted as the master suddenly clapped her hands together, startling him so much that he jolted for a moment as he looked at the master who was smiling brightly.

“Well, no matter! What matters is that you’re back and safe. Now then, who is this dashing young gentleman that you have brought with you?”

 

Eraqus looked down as he was fidgeting with his fingers, trying to explain the situation. Xehanort smiled inwardly as he looked at the poor flustered boy.

 

“Well, as I said it took some time to get back; when I finally managed it, he came with me, and so I brought him here so you could send him back.”

 

Eraqus said the words quite quickly and gestured to Xehanort who looked at him before turning his gaze back to the master who suddenly had a serious expression on her face, her smile gone.

Xehanort smiled and reached out his hand.

 

“My name is Xehanort. I was helping him with the Star shard when it brought us here.”

 

Well… It was not too far from the truth, and Xehanort was positive that Eraqus would not tell his master that he had managed to hitch a ride with him back to this world. The master took his hand, not offering her name but only nodding slowly.

“I see, well I thank you for that. I shall see that it that you get home at once-“

 

She retreated her hand and took a step back, but before she could do anything else Xehanort held out a hand signaling her to stop.

 

“Please wait a moment. I would like to file a complaint.”

 

The masters’ eyes widened at his words, and Eraqus, who had seemed nervous before, looked at him now with panic in his eyes. Xehanort smiled at him and if looks could kill…

“A complaint?”

 

While she had been happy and serious before, Xehanort now witnessed concern in her eyes that darted over to Eraqus that had started to sweat somewhat, his hands closed into fists. Xehanort, still smiling, nodded and continued.

 

“Yes, as it so happened to be, your student-“

 

Xehanort looked over at Eraqus, who was silently screaming murder at him, before looking back at the keyblade master.

 

“Destroyed my raft that I had built. I want compensation for it.”

 

Eraquss’ jaw dropped as he stared in disbelief at Xehanort. Was he actually serious?

 

The master, while not as floored as Eraqus, was somewhat shocked as well, or perhaps pleasantly surprised. It was hard to tell, but she seemed interested at the very least.

 

“A… raft, you say? And Eraqus destroyed it you say?”

 

Xehanort nodded and continued before anything else was said.

 

“Yes, as he entered my world, or rather crashed into it, he collided with my raft and destroyed it.”

 

The master looked over at Eraqus, whose mouth opened and closed without words coming out. He was at a literal loss for words.

 

“I see… And you want compensation for this raft?”

 

Xehanort silently nodded. He glanced at Eraqus before he looked at the master.

 

“As I have been informed by your student, people from other worlds should not interfere in worlds they do not belong to. Well, I believe destroying my raft is interfering with my worldly business.”

 

“That was not on purpose! Master, I-”

 

Eraqus seemed to have found some words at least as the outburst rang throughout the entire office, and the master put up a hand in front of Eraqus, silencing him.

“It would appear that we have interfered with… Your raft.”

 

At this point there was a smile of amusement on the masters’ face and a hint of humor in her voice as she continued, seemingly intrigued by what Xehanort had stated.

“And due to this you feel entitled to compensation before returning to your world?”

 

Xehanort, once again, nodded and adopted a calmer demeanor as he readied himself for the obvious question.

 

“And what would you expect as a fair compensation? Do you want another raft to replace the one you lost?”

 

Xehanort shook his head and the master smiled as she put her fist over her mouth for a moment, no doubt wondering if Xehanort had something special in mind, which he indeed did have.

 

“Would you like money then? I can’t imagine that your world would use the currency that we use…”

 

Xehanort shook his head again and the master smiled as her hand dropped down. She placed both hand behind her back and looked at him, smiling as she spoke.

 

“Well then, what could we offer that would satisfy you?”

 

Xehanort smiled. It was now or never.

 

“I want you to make me a keyblade master.”

 

The words left his mouth without much force, yet they certainly had an impact on both Eraqus and his master, as both their eyes went wide, and the masters’ hands fell to her sides.

 

“You… Want us to make you a keyblade master?”

 

Eraqus was the one who spoke, yet it seemed that he spoke for his master in that moment as she too stared at him in disbelief. Xehanort cleared his throat before he spoke.

 

“I am fully aware that my raft is not of the same value as the prestigious education you provide at this… Institution. Nevertheless, I built that raft with my bare hands, and it took me well over a month to build it.”

 

He spoke in a calm manner as he explained himself to them, and the masters’ smile had found itself on her face as she tried to stifle a chuckle that threatened to escape her lips.

 

“I want to be enrolled here the same amount of time as it took me to build that raft. When the time is up you may send me home. I believe that is a fair compensation for my work.”

 

The master was not only smiling but chuckling as she looked at the boy in front of her. He had balls, she would give him that.

 

“So, your compensation for your hard work is hard work from us, eh?”

 

Xehanort nodded, smiling. Eraqus looked at him in disbelief.

 

“You think you can become a keyblade master in only a month?”

 

The tone clearly had a certain mocking tone in it, but Xehanort could not blame him. It was an extremely short time period, and as far as he knew it took years for students to become keyblade masters. Of course, his goal was not necessarily to become a keyblade master per say, only to acquire the skill to travel to other worlds. Summoning a keyblade seemed to be one part of the formula, and he was sure that he would find the other ingredient within the month of his visit. Asking to stay for one month should not come across as asking for too much, and in truth he had spent weeks on that raft. The only thing that remained was to see if the master thought it was a fair compensation.

Xehanort turned to the master, determination burning within his soul and shining in his eyes.

 

“I would like to learn, that is all. If I can’t summon a keyblade by the end of my stay I will see it as a sign that it was not meant to be; but until that time… I would like to try at the very least.”

 

Xehanort had spoken relatively calmly, but the last part was infused with his intense determination as he looked the master right into her eyes as he spoke. She met his gaze and grinned.

 

“So, you want compensation for your destroyed raft. A compensation you believe is equal to over a month of study at our prestigious institution, is that right?”

 

Xehanort nodded, but he was feeling a bit uneasy as her gaze drilled into his soul. Nevertheless, he didn’t break eye contact or back down; he wanted this, and no sort of intimidation tactics would work on him… He hoped.

 

The master closed her eyes for a moment, apparently mulling over what to do with him. Xehanort looked straight ahead at the master, but out of the corner of his left eye he could see Eraqus staring at the two of them, quite shocked even though the master had not decided yet. Or perhaps he was shocked that she was even considering it. Eventually the master opened her eyes and clapped her hands together like before.

 

“Right then. One month it is.”

 

Xehanort mouth began to open, but he shut it before any words could escape. While he had worked with the raft for a bit over a month, haggling for more could very well lead to him being sent home without anything. So, he kept his mouth closed and nodded.

 

“You will be taught how to summon a keyblade during the duration of this stay. If-”

 

The last word was heavily emphasized as she stared at Xehanort.

 

“If you do well and manage to summon a keyblade by that time I might even consider letting you stay. You have spunk and I like that. But make no mistake; your stay here will be tougher than building a raft, and if you can’t take it, there is nothing I will do for you, alright?”

 

Xehanort nodded; “Yes, I understand. Thank you, master.”

 

She chuckled as he addressed her by her title.

 

“Well, I think we will get along just fine. Since Eraqus is my student and my responsibility, so are you from now on. Eraqus, could you take…”

 

She turned to him once again with an apologetic smile on her face.

 

“Xehanort.”

He repeated his name and made sure to say it clearly and pronounce it the way it should be. The master smiled and nodded.

 

“Take Xehanort around the school and show him where everything is so that he doesn’t lose his way. I will prepare a room for you in the meantime.”

 

Eraqus was standing very still in the office room as he processed what had just happened; this islander that had less than an hour ago hitched a ride with him to another world, which was strictly forbidden, had just bargained for a whole months’ worth of education, and by his own master no less. This could not be happening.

 

However, as Xehanorts’ gentle tap on his shoulder proved, it was indeed happening. He was still here and would be for another month. Eraqus made to turn around before his master called his name. he turned back and saw that she had reached out with her hand expecting him to hand her something. At first, he didn’t understand what it was that his master wanted from him. That was until his hand brushed against his pocket and he felt the Star shard inside; the thing that had started it all.

 

Eraqus reached into his pocket and pulled out the Star shard, quickly handing it over to his master as if it would send him to another world if he held it for too long.

 

She took it and studied it for a moment as it was resting in the palm of her hand. She gently swiped her thumb over it, and for a moment Eraqus wondered if it was going to start glowing again. However, nothing happened, and the two boys made their way out of the office and Eraqus closed the door behind them. The moment the wooden door closed Eraqus let out a sigh and slowly started to walk over to the window sill on the other side of the corridor. He sat down and rubbed his temples while Xehanort looked at him.

 

“Are you angry with me?”

 

Xehanort could see that the boy was tired, maybe even frustrated; he figured it might be best to clear the air as soon as possible between them so they could get a move on. Eraqus snapped out of his daze as he looked up and over at Xehanort who walked over to him, now standing in front of him as he was sitting down. Eraqus sighed and rubbed the back of his neck once again.

 

“Well… No, I mean… It’s just that a lot has happened and I’m trying to process it all. First, I’m sent off to a foreign world, then I meet you, and then I am back here expecting a severe punishment only to be told to show you around… It’s… A lot to take in.”

Xehanort nodded.

 

“I can imagine.”

 

Eraqus snorted and smiled at him.

 

“Can you?”

 

Xehanort shrugged and sat down next to Eraqus, who looked at him with an amused expression. Xehanort looked out the window and stared at the blue sky and the birds soaring through it.

 

“I started this day by boarding my raft, only to have it sent to the bottom of the ocean-“

Xehanort glanced at Eraqus who seemed offended at the statement.

“I told you, that was an accident!”

Xehanort smiled vaguely at the heated outburst before he continued.

“Then I met you, an outsider. Something I never thought I would do on that island. Then you showed me how small my world really was, and how much more there is for me to learn.”

 

Xehanort gave Eraqus a warm smile as he spoke, and as their eyes met Eraqus felt a small shiver run down his spine. There was something about the very deep tone in which he spoke, as well as how those hungry silvery eyes seemed to stare into his very soul… Eraqus had not felt this kind of feeling with anyone before, and he was not sure what it meant.

“And now I am here, in a foreign world with only you to guide me and a month to prove my worth.”

Xehanort looked out the window once again and Eraqus grew silent for a moment, looking at the boy in front of him. He suddenly realized that the day had probably been quite the tumultuously experience for him as well, and save for him and perhaps the master, he was all alone in this world, far from his home. A stranger in a strange land. Sort of like… Himself.

 

Eraqus had been in this world for a while now, but he had not really been able to connect with someone enough to call them a close friend. Sure, there was his master and Yen Sid that he occasionally hanged out with, but he was not that close with anyone.

Eraqus smiled as he looked over at the boy in front of him. Maybe this was his chance to make a new friend? A real friend that he could spend time with and talk to? Maybe it would only be month, but Eraqus would take what he could get. The boy had come across as very persistent when he met him on the island, but Eraqus could understand the desire to explore new worlds, especially if your entire world was just an island. Perhaps, if he got to know Xehanort, the two of them could become friends?

Suddenly very excited and giddy, Eraqus stood up abruptly, causing Xehanort to tear his gaze from the window to look back at him.

 

“Well, the clock is ticking! Come on, I’ll show you around!”

 

Eraqus smiled as he spoke, reaching out his hand to Xehanort who was silent for a moment, before smiling and sliding off the window sill.

 

“Alright, show me the way Eraqus…”

 

He smiled as he spoke, and Eraqus returned the smile as he headed down the corridor and began to explain the ins and outs of Scala Ad Caelum to Xehanort who followed him and listened intently to what he was saying.

 

Neither Xehanort or Eraqus knew this, but the master was still holding the Star shard in her office as she was sitting back on her desk, staring at the shard in her palm.

 

It was silent in her room; even her breathing was quiet as she was pondering over the fact that the Star shard sent Eraqus to this Xehanorts’ world.

 

“It seems you acted on your own, bringing my student to a foreign world.”

 

She held up the Star shard so the light seeping in from the window in her office pierced it, illuminating the shard and making it glow faintly. She smiled once again as she studied it.

 

“Perhaps you wanted to bring that boy to me, hmm? I wonder why… “

 

She shifted her gaze to look at the close door, almost as if she expected the newly arrived boy to walk in at any moment. She closed her eyes and sighed as she stood up and walked behind her desk.

 

“I hope that I am in for a pleasant surprise” she hummed to herself as she opened a drawer in her desk and gently put the Star shard into it.

 

Back in the present day Xehanort smiled as he remembered the first day he had arrived at Scala Ad Caelum and everything that had transpired since that day. Finally reaching his destination, a room that was on the outer side of the tower above the great clock, he saw Eraqus waiting for him by the window sill, setting the board. When he noticed that Xehanort had entered the room he looked up and smiled at him, and Xehanort returned the smile as he strolled over to his friend and took his place on the opposite side of the chess board, gently sitting down and swinging his legs up for a more comfortable position.

 

Eraqus looked up at him and grinned, his eyes still holding the same excitement before they started playing, even though by now they had played countless times. It was one of the many things that Xehanort liked about Eraqus.

“Ready?”

Xehanort looked at the chess board for a moment, making sure that Eraqus hadn’t taken any… Liberties when it came to the setup of the pieces as he tended to bend the rules of the game in his favor quite often. Xehanort looked up and smiled at his first and only true friend.

“Always.”


	2. That's not how you play chess!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xehanort has now been in Scala Ad Caelum for a few weeks, and as he is sitting and playing chess with Eraqus he recalls his first few days at the castle.
> 
> Eraqus, who is intrigued by this new boy tries to spend time with him while he also gets to know a bit more about the boy as each day passes, the two of them growing closer and closer while their feelings for one another develop.

The chess match went on for quite a while as usual between the two keyblade students in the next to empty room. Each of them was outwitting the other for a while, before the other one wrestled back control of the game. Silence came and went, with the occasional passing comment or conversation between them, along with the shrieks of seagulls echoing throughout the room when a window had been opened due to it being a hot day.

 

They were more often than not lost in thought playing the game, but Xehanort had played the game a bit more than Eraqus, and so he could also initiate conversations every so often, though Eraqus would take some time to reply. He was heavily invested in the game as always, as if they had bet something precious on the outcome. That was hardly the case. The game was just an excuse to spend time together, although they already did that with their daily training.

 

As Eraqus put it, keyblade training was good for the body, while playing chess was excellent training for the mind. Xehanort had his doubts about that logic, although he did enjoy spending the afternoons together with him in the closed off room in the tower… It was like a little world, carved out for just the two of them.

 

Xehanort looked over across the chess board and saw Eraqus staring at the various pieces, shifting his gaze every so often while his right hand was balled into a fist, his thumb under his chin. Xehanort smiled as he stared at his friend.

 

Yes… At this point it felt natural to call him that. While they had been strangers at first and then classmates, Xehanort was fairly sure that they were now friends. None of them had said the word out loud, nor had they referred to each other as such.

 

Truth be told, Xehanort had never really had a friend per say. Growing up on the pile of sand and trees had certainly not been a lonely experience in the sense that there were no people around; there had been plenty of people. But none of whom Xehanorts’ heart had connected to the way it had done to Eraquss’.

 

Perhaps Xehanort had thought to highly of himself, too important to mingle or interact with the other kids on the island. He was aware of the fact that he was not the most… Social person so to speak. His own company was comfortable enough, so it ended up being a competition for that when it came to finding friends: a person that made him feel comfortable despite their presence. This sort of thinking was vain, but living on the island where everyone seemed so quick to accept their situation… It was as if they had traded their freedom for a stale life, devoid of any change or fulfilling discovery. And Xehanort could never accept that. That was not his reality, nor his truth. What he sought in life was freedom, the ultimate freedom that would allow him to do what he wanted. No obstacle in his path would hold him pack from his goal. The world he lived in had been one obstacle. The next one had been a tricky one.

 

Xehanort smiled while he reminisced about his early days at Scala Ad Caelum.

 

“Something on you mind? You’re awfully quiet today.”

 

Xehanort was snapped out of his daze as he looked up at Eraqus who was no longer looking at the board, instead staring at him with a soft smile on his face.

 

“It’s your move.”

 

Xehanort looked back at the board and saw that Eraqus had moved one of his pieces. Most likely a trap to lure him in.

 

“Right.”

 

Xehanort began studying the chessboard, leaning over and scanning where the pieces were placed and where they would most likely be placed by his opponent in the next few minutes. Just as he was about to decide Eraqus pulled him out of his thoughts once again.

 

“What were you thinking about? Something on your mind?”

 

Xehanort looked up from the chessboard once again.

 

“Huh?”

 

Eraqus smiled and chuckled as he looked back at him.

 

“You had such an interesting look on your face as you stared at the board... Figured you had to be thinking about something other than your next move.”

 

Xehanort sat up straight and shook his head, smiling a bit as he did so.

 

“Nothing special. Just thinking about my first week here, that’s all.”

 

Eraqus raised an eyebrow.

 

“What for?”

 

Xehanort shrugged.

 

“No particular reason. Just started thinking about it, that’s all.”

 

Xehanort moved his piece and Eraqus hummed to himself as he looked down and studied the board. Silence fell between them once again, but Xehanort felt that he needed to ask something.

 

“Back then… What did you think of me?”

 

Eraqus looked up at Xehanort, whose gaze was fixated on the board as he did not want to look at Eraqus at the moment due to the fear that the other would see his emotions.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Eraqus asked in a normal tone, but Xehanort could tell his interest was piqued. Xehanort put his right hand over his mouth as he leaned over the board. He looked down as he spoke, staring at the black and white pieces.

 

“Did you think I was… odd?”

 

Xehanort did not look up at the boy in front of him, but the sound of him letting out a small laugh made it evident that he found his question humorous. Xehanort felt annoyance strike him as he looked up at his so called “friend” that did not seem to take his words seriously.

 

“What?”

 

Eraqus rubbed the corners of his eyes as he held up a hand.

 

“Sorry, I guess I just didn’t expect you to ask me that.”

 

Xehanorts’ eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his face for a moment before staring at the board again. Forget it, if he wasn’t going to take it seriously, then Xehanort would not bring it up. He supposed it had been stupid to ask in the first place.

 

“It’s just… You never seem to care what people think about you, that’s all.”

 

Xehanort stopped his hand from reaching one of the pawns.

 

“That’s because I don’t.”

 

Eraqus smiled softly as he looked over at Xehanort who refused to look him in the eyes.

 

“Then why me? Is this your way of telling me you care about my opinion?”

 

Xehanort almost choked on his breath at that, but he kept himself still as he stared down at the chessboard.

 

“Forget about it.”

 

Xehanort was in a foul mood now, and so he moved his pawn and leaned back, moving his body away so he was leaning against the glass window, eyes closed, and arms folded. Eraqus chuckled softly as he looked at Xehanort.

 

“To be honest… I didn’t know what to think of you at first. I had never met someone like you, so I suppose I didn’t have much to compare you with.”

 

Eraqus spoke with a calm demeanor, his smile still on his face as he stared down at the chessboard.

 

Xehanort opened his eyes and glanced over to his left where Eraqus sat on the windowsill.

 

“That first week… It was pretty intense as I recall it.”

 

Xehanort huffed as he stared up at the ceiling.

 

“For me it was, yeah. And it still is.”

 

Eraqus glanced over at his friend. He always had a hard time showing his true feelings to others; most likely because he wanted to seem strong, and feelings were a sign of weakness according to him. Eraqus smiled as he stared back at the chessboard, his index finger hovering over his knight piece. Thinking back on the first week he supposed it made sense that Xehanort kept to himself.

 

The first day he had gotten there the two of them had walked around the castle, with Eraqus serving as Xehanorts’ guide to the place. He had told him what he knew about the history of the place and where everything was. Xehanort was quiet for the most of it, though he seemed to be interested in where the library was. As they entered it, he stood still for a moment, taking in the sights of the massive bookshelves that climbed up and up, almost reaching the very tall roof of the castle. Eraqus had looked at him with a curious expression.

 

“Didn’t your world have a library?”

 

Xehanort didn’t turn around or move; he simply stared at the bookshelves for a moment before he spoke.

 

“Not like this one.”

 

Xehanort walked forward to one of the shelves and slowly ran his index finger down one of the spines.

 

“Oh.”

 

Eraqus supposed that the library was probably a lot bigger than the one Xehanort had had on his island. In the end they stayed in the library for a while, with Xehanort looking at various books before leaving. As they went outside a boy ran up and handed them a key to a room that was meant for Xehanort. As soon as he had gotten the key to his room, and Eraqus had shown him where it was (which was pretty close to his own room) Xehanort had unlocked the door and was about to close it.

 

“So, I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other then?”

 

Before Xehanort had closed the door Eraqus had shot the question at him, and Xehanort halted his movements. They stood in silence for a moment before Xehanort replied.

 

“I would expect so.”

 

Silence creeped its way back as Eraqus smiled at the boy awkwardly, trying to come up with anything to say, but nothing coming to mind.

 

“Well… Good luck then!”

 

Eraqus smiled awkwardly and gave a thumbs up before turning around and walking away, panicking inside his head as he wondered why the hell, why had he given the other a thumbs up? At the moment he only wanted to get out of the embarrassing situation as fast as possible.

 

“Thank you for showing me around.”

 

Eraqus stopped in his tracks as he heard Xehanort speak, but as he turned back around, he saw that the door was now closed. Eraqus stood still in the hallway for a moment, staring at the closed white door a few steps away. Xehanort… He was teasing him at times and quiet at other times. But he didn’t seem so bad at least. Eraqus smiled to himself and turned around in the hallway, walking back to his own room. Maybe they could be good friends after all.

 

The following day Eraqus walked by one of the windows to the courtyard and found Xehanort in the training yard with his master. Xehanort had been handed a wooden keyblade to train with, and the two of them were sparring. Eraqus paused for a moment to observe. Xehanort was still wearing his black robes and white pants with black boots. It seemed that despite being a student, he was not officially seen as one by the master. At least not yet.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

Eraqus swore under his breath and turned around. In front of him stood a boy a bit older than him, clad in light blue robes. It was Yen Sid, who was a few years older than him, which could be seen by both his length and the small stubble he had on his face. The two of them had met a while back and were friends. Well, sort of. Yen Sid was very closed off, and rarely interacted with… Well, anyone. He wasn’t a bad person per say, but he was not that much fun to hang out with either. Their conversations usually revolved around school work and nothing beyond that.

 

Yen Sid turned his head away to the left and looked out the window and into the courtyard. As he spotted his Xehanort training his eyebrows furrowed.

 

“Who is that? A new student?”

 

Eraqus nodded and looked out to watch Xehanort train as well.

 

“His name is Xehanort. He arrived yesterday. He will be staying with us for a month.”

 

Yen Sid raised an eyebrow and turned back his head to Eraqus.

 

“For a month? What do you mean?”

 

Eraqus explained the situation, and Yen Sids’ eyebrows furrowed as he stared intently at Xehanort.

 

“This has to be some sort of joke. He should not be here.”

 

Eraqus turned to Yen Sid and saw anger flashing in his otherwise calm eyes.

 

“Why shouldn’t he? The master was the one who said he could stay.”

 

Yen Sid only huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“That doesn’t make this right. If that boy had any respect for what we do here, he wouldn’t bargain for his education… He should have stayed in his own world.”

 

It was now Eraqus who was angry as he stepped into Yen Sids’ line of sight.

 

“He has as much right to be here as any of us. He only wants to learn.”

 

Yen Sid scoffed once again, shaking his head as he closed his eyes momentarily.

 

“Then I hope he learns that he has no place here.”

 

Before Eraqus could respond, Yen Sid had turned around and had begun to walk away. Eraqus looked at him as he walked away before he looked out the window once again. Besides Yen Sids’ footsteps it was quiet in the corridor. Eraqus could feel his anger subside as he watched Xehanort get knocked down by his master once again.

 

Maybe Yen Sid was right. Maybe Xehanort was delusional to think that he could master a keyblade summon in under a month. And yet… The boy showed no signs of hesitation. Eraqus put a hand on the cool glass window and looked out. There was a clear drive in him, something that drove him forward. Every time his master knocked him down, he got back up. Every time it seemed obvious that he should stay down he dragged his beaten body upwards while his legs were shaking. It was… Admirable. Eraqus felt his heart beat a bit faster as Xehanort bare muscles showed as he took his stance, determined to keep going. Maybe Yen Sid was right, but Eraqus was hoping  against all odds that he was wrong.

 

This sight would become the daily routine for much of the month, with Xehanort training all day with his master, and during the late afternoons he would be resting in the library. It was during this time that Eraqus, wanting to spend more time with Xehanort, came up with the idea to play chess with him. It had started during a particularly intense training day, one which made Xehanort too tired to move around. He was sitting in one of the  blue old cushion chairs in the library, book in his lap and head resting against the headboard of the chair, staring up into the ceiling.  

 

“Long day?”

 

Eraqus had quite the chipper tone as he strolled into the library, his hands behind his back as he was holding the chessboard, hoping the two of them would play with together. Xehanort did not open his eyes or move his head to the side to stare at Eraqus.

 

“You could say that.”

 

Eraqus heard how tired he sounded as he walked forward, standing in front of the chair Xehanort was sitting motionless in, slightly leaning over the man as he looked at the book.

 

“Not feeling like reading?”

 

Xehanort grunted as he opened one eye and looked over at Eraqus.

 

“The only thing I feel at the moment is aching in my body.”

 

Eraqus gently put down the chessboard behind his legs quietly and then picked up the book to study it. It was big, heavy, and quite old. As he looked at the title, he saw that it was a history book, specifically about keyblades. Eraqus began flipping through the pages and began feeling that even if he hadn’t been training all day, he too wouldn’t find much motivation to read this brick of a book. The language was old and the way it was written was so dry that he was fairly sure that if the book was left in the sun for too long it would catch on fire. Eraqus set down the book on a nearby shelf so the librarian could easily see it and relocate it to its proper place. While Xehanort had his eyes closed he picked up the chess box once again and spoke  as calmly as he could muster, trying not to sound too excited.

 

“Seems like you could use something more… Stimulating.”

 

Xehanort opened both eyes slightly and stared at Eraqus.

 

“What do you have to offer? I doubt it can beat the riveting book I was reading…”

 

Eraqus giggled as Xehanort smirked as he spoke in a sarcastic tone.

 

“I think you will find this a bit more entertaining.”

 

Xehanort sighed and leaned forward slightly in the chair, groaning a bit as his body still ached from the training.

 

“I hope so. What did you have in mind?”

 

Eraqus smiled and showed the chessboard that he had been hiding behind his back. Xehanort raised an eyebrow as he stared at the wooden box and then back to Eraqus.

 

“Chess?”

 

Eraqus smiled and nodded. Xehanort was silent for a moment, before he reached out with his right hand and ran it along the top edge of the wooden box.

 

“Do you know how to play?”

 

Eraqus asked the question while still smiling, and Xehanort looked up at Eraqus and scoffed.

 

“I lived on an island, not under a rock. Of course, I know how to play.”

 

Eraqus grinned as he held up the box to his chest.

 

“Then do you feel like playing?”

 

Xehanort was silent for a moment before he shrugged and leaned back into the chair.

 

“Sure. But if you want to play you got to drag another chair and a table over here. Because I am too tired to move out of this chair.”

 

And so, the two of them played their first game of chess together. Both Xehanort and Eraqus had experience from playing the game beforehand, but it seemed that Xehanort had a bit more of it as he was the one to declare “checkmate” at the end. Eraqus groaned as he rubbed the back of his head as he stared at his fallen king. Xehanort smiled as he looked over at Eraqus.

 

“You were right.”

 

Eraqus looked up from the board to meet Xehanorts’ gaze.

 

“About what?”

 

Xehanort smiled as he leaned back into the chair, arms folding behind his head as he closed his eyes.

 

“It was more fun than reading the book. You’re pretty good.”

 

Eraqus sighed but smiled as well.

 

“Not good enough to beat you apparently. But I enjoyed playing with you. Care for another round?”

 

Silence found its way back for a moment, and Xehanort eventually opened an eye, seeing Eraqus stare at him with those hopeful eyes… Damn it, he couldn’t say no.

“Sure.”

 

That was all the incentive Eraqus needed, and he quickly put up the pieces again, both his own and Xehanorts’. In the end they played for many hours, until the librarian intervened just as they were in the climax of their last game, telling them that the library was closing.

 

“Can we just play for just a bit longer, please?”

 

Eraqus looked up at the librarian with his puppy eyes, but the librarian, an old woman whose eyes were squinted, mouth firmly shut, did not budge. Eraqus sighed and began to pack up the board in silence with Xehanort helping him. Xehanort looked over at Eraqus who was silent as he took the pieces and put them in the box. It had been a while since Xehanort played chess, and while he liked the game enough, it was an entirely different experience playing with Eraqus.

 

As it turned out, Eraqus would come up with different rules during the game, arguing that this was how it was played in his world. And while Xehanort was fairly sure that he made up the majority of the so called “rules”, he still found the challenge thrilling. Eventually. It made the game more interesting, and so far, he had won 4 times and lost 2, with the last game being unfinished.

 

The… “implementing” of the new rules had begun during their third match, when Xehanort had won twice. They were in the middle of the game when Eraqus moved his knight forward in a way that should not have been possible. Xehanort was quick to notice.

 

“Hey, what are you doing?”

 

Eraqus feigned ignorance and looked up at Xehanort with a calm expression that had a hint of confusion mixed in.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Xehanort scowled and pointed at the knight piece.

 

“That was an illegal move you did right now. Knights can’t move like that.”

 

Eraqus looked back at the board and then at Xehanort.

 

“Sure they can.”

 

Xehanort was baffled as he looked at Eraqus.

 

“No, they cannot. Knights can move one square up and two over, or two squares over and one down… It must be one of these combinations in any direction. You told me you had played chess before, right? Well, knights can’t move any other way.”

 

Eraqus hummed as he looked back at the board.

 

“Hmm, maybe not where you are from. But here, the knight can move more freely as the game continues, taking four steps instead of two. You see, as the knight takes more pieces it learns to move in different ways.”

 

Xehanorts’ mouth was open as he looked at the boy in front of him in disbelief.

 

“That is not in the rulebook!”

 

Eraqus shrugged and looked at Xehanort.

 

“Seems you’ve played the game differently. I guess if this version is too hard for you…”

 

Eraqus moved forward to take his knight back from its position, but Xehanort swiftly grabbed his wrist in a vice grip and stared at him. His eyes were squinted, and lips pursed as he stared in silence at the board and his opponent. Eraqus raised an eyebrow and stared at him, smiling slightly at how frustrated he had made his new friend. They stayed like that for a moment, neither of the two breaking eye contact or averting their eyes. By now the entire library had gone quiet, the other students glancing over at the two of them as they sat in a silent staring contest over the chessboard. Soon they started murmuring among themselves as they stared at them. Eventually, Xehanort opened his mouth and spoke through gritted teeth in a very low tone.

 

“Fine. We’ll continue playing. It’s my move.”

 

Xehanort let go of Eraquss’ wrist, retreating his hand to put it on his leg. Eraqus smiled as he brought his wrist back and rubbed it slightly with his left hand, watching Xehanort study his own pieces on the board in silence. As the game went on new rules came and went, and the games became longer and more interesting. Xehanort was quite close to losing it once, standing up from his chair and demanding to see a rulebook. Eraqus had shrugged it off and said that if he wanted the rulebook, he would have to look for it himself. They were in the library after all, there was bound to be a book about chess somewhere. Xehanort had told him he would do so, but as he was turning to walk away, he was close to stumbling. He managed to catch himself before doing so though. In the end he slumped back into the chair, grumbling to himself as he rubbed his aching leg. After that he didn’t say much when Eraqus did something he considered “highly illegal” and simply went with it, though he did shoot the occasional judgmental glare across the board when it happened. Eraqus pretended he didn’t see them as he carried on.

 

As they packed up the game Xehanort handed the final piece to Eraqus. When the other boy took the piece Xehanort cleared his throat, catching the others’ attention.

 

“You know… I wouldn’t mind playing with you again.”

 

Eraqus perked up at that, a smile forming on his face.

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

Xehanort nodded, looking around the library.

 

“But it would be better if we weren’t in the library. Despite what the sign says it can be a bit loud sometimes, and I don’t care much for the old lady either.”

 

Eraqus giggled at the last remark, remembering how the librarian had shot many death-stares Xehanorts’ way when he occasionally spoke too loudly against his rules, and not to mention when she “shush-ed” him. He could see why Xehanort would prefer playing somewhere else, and if he was being honest, he wouldn’t mind it too.

 

 

“Hmm… I could probably find a place where we can play uninterrupted.”

 

Xehanort stretched his back and arm as he looked back at Eraqus.

 

“You can? Anywhere special in mind?”

 

Eraqus smiled as he closed the chess box and put the lock on it so it wouldn’t open.

 

“There are a couple of rooms that are rarely used, scattered around the castle. They are open for anyone though, so I can’t promise complete privacy. But they should be empty for most of the day at least.”

 

Xehanort smiled and nodded, and the two of them walked back to their rooms, with Eraqus walking a bit slower than usual due to Xehanorts’ slow pace. Eraqus looked over and saw that Xehanort seemed to be in mild pain, or at least have some trouble walking. He looked at Xehanorts’ face, but if he was in pain, he didn’t let it show. He still decided to ask him about.

 

“Maybe you should take the day off tomorrow and rest up? You could always read instead of train you know.”

 

Xehanort looked over at him and scoffed as he looked ahead.

 

“I can take a day off when I can summon a keyblade. For now, my entire focus is on training. Rest comes later.”

 

Eraqus felt concern for his new friend; sure, he was determined, or perhaps stubborn. But not letting his body rest for even a day seemed a bit extreme. He wanted to say more, but he also knew that being in this school was really important for Xehanort. The words Yen Sid had told him suddenly entered his mind “I hope he learns that he has no place here…”

 

Eraqus stared down at his own feet for a moment. If he remembered correctly, he had said the same thing when Xehanort came to Scala Ad Caelum. Sure, it had been during different circumstances, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit bad. He didn’t want Xehanort to think he didn’t want him there; he just wanted the best for him. But he was afraid that if he pressed the issue further, Xehanort would resent him, thinking that he wanted him to fail. He didn’t want that. Playing chess with Xehanort had been a lot of fun, more fun than he had had in the school since he arrived. The boy he had met on that world was both sarcastic, clever and… Temperamental at times. With most people at the school acting so high and mighty all the time it was a nice change of pace to meet someone who actually seemed… Well, normal. At least more normal than the people who pretended that they were special and smart to fool those around them to respect them.

 

Xehanort did not pretend to be anything else than he was. Although, he did have some trouble admitting defeat. Eraqus grinned as he remembered the first time he won earlier that day, and how Xehanort had been sitting in complete silence for a moment. Then he had proceeded to quickly put back all the pieces on the board and moved one of his pawns forward, staring silently at the board as he waited for Eraqus to make his move. Eraqus had giggled at that, and Xehanort had simply grit his teeth as he stared down at the board.

 

Yes, spending time with Xehanort was a lot of fun for Eraqus. He felt that he had found a real friend in him. But if he was his friend, shouldn’t he say something? Eraqus sighed silently and shook his head as he glanced over to his right side where Xehanort walked in silence. He still wasn’t sure if Xehanort would be with him when the month was over. Maybe it would be best to leave him be and stay on good terms with him when he could see him. As he came to his door in the corridor, which was on the right side, he turned to Xehanort.

 

“Well, this is my stop. See you tomorrow.”

 

Xehanort nodded and looked over to where his room was. However, instead of moving he turned back to Eraqus.

 

“I don’t mind playing with you… But perhaps it’s best if we don’t.”

 

Eraqus paused in his tracks as he was about to unlock the door to his room. He suddenly felt a lump in his throat and a sinking feeling in his stomach. Had he done something wrong?

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Xehanort stared down at his own feet for a moment before he spoke.

 

“I’ve heard what they say about me. That I am an outsider who doesn’t belong here. You must have heard it too.”

 

Eraqus was silent for a moment, standing still beside the door to his room. The entire corridor was silent and dark, save for the moonlight shining in through the windows and curtains, as well as the lamps on the wall. He recalled what Yen Sid had said to him once again.

 

“If you hang around me too much, they might start talking about you too you know…”

 

Eraqus felt something strike a chord within himself at that. Xehanort was… Worried about him?  Eraqus looked over at the silent boy in front of him who only looked at him for a brief moment before walking over to the windowsill of one of the windows to sit down as he rested. Eraqus looked at him in silence for a moment. Wait… Was the reason that Xehanort didn’t want to play in the library because he didn’t want the other students to see him hanging out with him? Did he think they would bully him? Eraqus suddenly felt a mix of emotions; he was both touched and happy that Xehanort actually cared about him, but also sad that he would isolate himself, thinking it would make Eraqus safe from harm.

 

Eraqus smiled softly and slowly made his way over to Xehanort, who was sitting on the windowsill and rubbing his left leg that was resting on his right knee with his right hand. He looked up at Eraqus in silence and studied his face, searching for a clue as to what he was feeling. Eraqus inhaled for a moment before briefly leaning forward and hugging Xehanort, who became absolutely still as he tried to understand what was happening. The hug didn’t last long, but it had an impact on both of them as Xehanort was flustered and silent, while Eraqus smiled awkwardly, trying to find the right words to say as a small blush was on his cheeks.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Xehanort looked up at him, mouth opening and closing before he slightly shook his head and spoke up.

 

“For what?”

 

Eraqus smiled and rubbed the back of his head with his right hand as he briefly avoided eye contact.

 

“For wanting to protect me. But I don’t think it’s necessary. I don’t really care what the others say, about you or me.”

 

Eraqus emphasized the last part, staring at Xehanort who was basked in the moonlight from the window, his silvery hair almost glowing in it. He was beautiful, and Eraqus bit his lower lip as the though entered his mind. Where had that thought come from? Xehanort, on the other end, stared up at Eraqus who was illuminated by the moonlight as well, his silver eyes shining as they looked at him softly. Something stirred in Xehanorts abdomen that he couldn’t quite explain, and for a moment they two of them were silent in the corridor. Eventually Xehanort nodded and got up, feeling a bit awkward from the situation and the only response to the situation he could think of was to get out of it.

 

“Well… it’s late. I’ll see you tomorrow Eraqus.”

 

Eraqus looked at his back as he began to walk away, his hope for their friendship dwindling somewhat and for reassurance he called out to him.

 

“So we’ll play another game tomorrow then?”

 

Xehanort stopped walking and turned around halfway in the corridor, staring back at Eraqus who had a hopeful look on his face. Xehanort sighed and smiled softly at him.

 

“If you can find a good place to play… Then I’d be happy to.”

 

Eraqus felt his heart beat extra hard in his chest as Xehanort smiled warmly at him, a bubbly feeling rising from his stomach that made it impossible for him not to return the smile. Eraqus grinned and nodded, turning around and unlocking his door before walking in, quickly closing it and smiling to himself as he felt giddy from their conversation.

 

Xehanort stood still in the hallway, smiling a bit longer before he turned to the window he had been sitting at. The moon shined brightly, reminiscent of his own moon in his own world. For a moment Xehanort wondered if it was the same moon. The master had told him that there were many worlds, but that that each of them shared the same sky, and the same destiny. Xehanort had pondered what those words meant, but at the moment he was too tired. It had been a long day, and the time until the month of his stay was over edged closer by each passing minute.

 

Spending the days training and the late afternoons resting while playing chess was fine, he supposed. Playing with Eraqus was… Interesting to say the least. He only hoped that nothing bad would come to him for socializing with him, as it seemed a lot of the other students did not appreciate his presence in the school. Xehanort walked over to his room and unlocked the door, walking in slowly before carefully closing and locking the door. He threw his clothes on the chair in the room before walking to the edge of the large bed that was in the room. As he crashed onto the bed he turned over before taking a book he had borrowed from the library that was on the nightstand. It was an old book about the so called keyblade war… It was quite fascinating, but also quite long. It had taken him a long time of digging in the old parts of the library to find it.

 

Xehanort placed the heavy book on his chest and tried to pick up where he had left off. But at this point he was so tired that he lost himself in the text too often, and eventually he gave up, putting away the book next to the bed. When he closed his eyes and drifted off, he dreamt about chasing keys in a far-off land with white castles, running as fast as he could while the key kept floating out of his reach. So close… Only a little further… But just as he was about to grab it a whirlpool of water surrounded his feet, dragging him down. Xehanort tried to scream, but water filled his mouth and he was dragged down into the depths, reaching desperately for the key that was just out of his reach. He was dragged under by the water, and suddenly he was falling from the sky, down to… His island. He was falling from the sky, down to his island. Only that it was not the same as before; the tree houses had formed a gigantic wooden mouth with sharp poles as teeth. In the middle was a burning inferno, waiting for him to fall in. His family and everyone else were in the inferno, their burning hands reaching up to grab him. Xehanort screamed as he plummeted down into the jaws, hands all over him when he landed, dragging him into the hellfire.

 

Xehanort woke with a scream, trashing in his bed before he realized it was all a dream. Sweat was pouring from his body, his hair sticking uncomfortably to his skin on his head. Xehanort tossed away the sheets that were wet from sweat and he ran a hand across his forehead, brushing his hair back. He stood up on shaky legs, walking towards the window on the right, pulling away the curtains and peeking out; it was close to dawn, the stars still somewhat visible. Xehanort put on his clothes and snuck out of his room and walked over to the training grounds. His mind was empty, heart still beating unnaturally fast as he made his way to the courtyard. By the time his master showed up he had already spent several hours training, his breath ragged yet his legs, visibly shaking, were firmly placed on the solid ground, and Xehanort was ready for more.

 

It was almost dark when Xehanort slowly made his way back into the castle, each step a battle to keep his body steady and from falling forward. As he made his way inside the castle, he spotted Eraqus waiting in the main hall. Xehanort contemplated sneaking around to get some rest in his room, but that would not be fair to Eraqus. He had made a promise after all. He walked as fast as his legs would carry him over to Eraqus, who was sitting in a chair, reading a book. As he came closer Eraqus still hadn’t noticed him, apparently so enthralled by the book that he failed to notice the world around him. Xehanort stood beside him for a moment, expecting the other to notice his presence. He did not. Xehanort let out a sigh and flicked Eraqus on his head with his index finger, causing the boy to quickly jerk his head out of the book, which fell to the ground, and looked up at Xehanort who stared at him with an amused look.

 

“Am I interrupting?”

 

Eraqus quickly scrambled to get the book up from the floor and gave a short nervous laugh in response.

 

“Not at all, I was just, uh… Reading.”

 

Xehanort smirked as he looked on as Eraqus tried to collect himself and look as if nothing had happened.

 

“I could see that. Can I assume that you found a room then? Or have you been reading all day?”

 

Eraqus, who was dusting off the book and making sure that the pages hadn’t been damaged looked at Xehanort confused.

 

“Huh?”

 

Xehanort sighed as he folded his arms over his chest.

 

“A room. Have you found it?”

 

Eraqus was still for a moment before it clicked in his head, and he smiled as he put the book on the chair.

 

“Oh, yes! Come on, I’ll show you!”

 

Eraqus darted past Xehanort, who had to shout at him to wait up as he couldn’t walk too fast as he was still tired from training all day. They ended up walking quite a bit through the castle, up many, many stairs and through many corridors. The walk was far too long for Xehanorts’ taste, but then again he was a bit exhausted from the training.

 

“Wait up. I have to take a breather.”

 

Xehanort sat down on one of the windowsills in the corridor, letting his legs rest for a bit. Eraqus turned around and chuckled.

 

“Getting tired already? Should I carry you the rest of the way?”

 

Xehanort shot him a glare that made it evident that he was not amused by the comment.

 

“Oh, come on, you know I’m just joking.”

 

Xehanort huffed and leaned back against the cool glass window, closing his eyes and resting his arms on his legs.

 

“Just wait till your old. We’ll see who has trouble walking then.”

 

Eraqus chuckled as he stood beside Xehanort, leaning against the wall.

 

“So, you’re saying we’ll know each other until we’re old geezers?”

 

Eraqus smirked and looked over at Xehanort, who suddenly got very quiet. Xehanort opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

 

“I hope so.”

 

Eraqus smile dropped as the serious tone in Xehanorts’ voice was evident. Eraqus looked at Xehanort, who turned his head to the right towards Eraqus.

 

“If all goes well.”

 

He smiled as he spoke, and Eraqus understood what he meant. They were silent for a moment, neither of the two saying anything. Maybe because neither one knew what to say, perhaps because they didn’t want to say what was unspoken. Eventually Xehanort slapped his hands against his knees and stood up, looking at Eraqus with a tired smile.

 

“Come on, let’s get going.”

 

Eraqus looked at him and gave a small nod in response, the edge of his mouth turning upwards as they walked together through the corridor.

 

Eventually they reached the room; it was not the biggest room in the castle, but it had room to spare; a very large window with long curtains was on the opposite side of the door, with a large windowsill that could easily fit two people and a chessboard. The window reached up almost all the way to the ceiling, where Xehanort saw two black fans spinning.

 

On the left side of the room there was a table with books stacked on top of it and chairs on the sides. There was also a bookshelf on the left wall and a plant close to the corner. On the right side a purple calendar was pinned to the wall, with a small desk placed underneath that had parchments, papers, a pen and a small silver ink bottle on it.

 

On the right side of the room stood a golden sphere with a blue crystal suspended in mid-air. On the wall on the right side hung a golden clock, as well as black lamps on either side of a keyblade. Xehanort walked forward to it, studying its shape while Eraqus went to the windowsill to put up the board. Xehanort was silent for a moment, studying the shape of the keyblade; it was black, grey and a bit silvery as well, with a keychain hanging at the end of the handle. It looked far less like an actual key compared to the one Eraqus wielded. This one looked like it was meant for combat, meant to hurt others. A real blade. Xehanort thought about the book about the keyblade war as he stared at the blade on the wall, the moonlight reflecting on the steel that made the blade shimmer on the wall.

 

“I’m done!”

 

Eraquss’ words called Xehanort back to reality, and he turned away from the wall and sat down on the left side of the room, across the chessboard and his opponent. As he sat down, he noticed the chess pattern on the floor, and he chuckled as he looked up on Eraqus.

 

“You found a fitting room for us to play chess in.”

 

Eraqus looked down on the floor pattern and laughed as well.

 

“Yeah. Maybe the architect was a fan of chess as well?”

 

“Well, the entire castle is white and black… You might be on to something there.”

 

Eraqus giggled as he looked down at the board, lifting his pawn up and placing it one tile forward.

 

“The chess castle conspiracy?”

 

Xehanort grinned as he moved his pawn before he briefly glance outside: the sun was setting on the horizon, the buildings scattered around the ocean bathing in the orange light while the seagulls flew across the orange sky. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and a warm feeling spread in Xehanorts’ chest as he silently observed the world, feeling the warm rays of the sun hit his skin as the curtains fluttered in the wind. It was times like these when he was once again eternally grateful for the miracle opportunity he had been given, to spend time in this heavenly beautiful world. He heard Eraqus clear his throat and turned his gaze back to the chessboard, his smile still on his face as he made his next move. He slowly reached out his right hand, softly lifting the chess piece into the air and holding it there in the palm of his hand for a moment before placing it down on a new spot on the board.  

 

“If there were a conspiracy it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Maybe each castle in this world is a pawn, with the other pieces at the bottom of the ocean?”

 

They shared a laugh at that and continued talking long into the night, trading different theories and speculations on the origin of the world they were in, with the golden clock striking twelve being the signal to pack it up. Xehanort was so tired that his head kept falling down, despite Xehanorts best efforts to keep it up with the palm of his hand acting like a pillar. They packed up the pieces and Xehanort stood up, stretching his back and groaning when it ached. Eraqus smirked and spoke, though in a low tone as it was midnight.

 

“Already got a back problem?”

 

Xehanort grunted and stretched his arms above his head.

“Sitting in that position for as many hours as we did would give anyone back problems. Next time I will make sure to move around more.”

 

Eraqus smiled as he put the final piece in the box, noting that Xehanort had said that there would be a next time. He was already looking forward to it.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: First of all, thank you for reading so far! This chapter was origianlly twice as long, but I decided to cut it in half and edit this one while saving the other part.
> 
> If you have read this chapter I would love to know what you thought of it, and if you guys want me to keep this series going or not. I had planned some more fluff for the next chapter, so let me know if you want that or something else that you would love to see!
> 
> All comments, long or short, really make my day so I hope you consider leaving one if you enjoyed reading my story!


	3. Try this one!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time goes on in Scala Ad Caelum, and as Xehanort is still unable to summon a keyblade, Eraqus feels that Xehanort needs a break from training.
> 
> Some time to relax and let loose. When an opportunity turns up Eraqus is excited, but the question is if he can convince his friend?

After they had finished their game of chess Eraqus had silently hoped that there would be a next time when they would play together again. His wishes were answered as there indeed was a next time, and a time after that; as days turned into weeks the two of them would play against each other every day for hours, sitting in the same room and play with each other.

 

They would talk about everything from how they day had been to what kinds of worlds existed in the cosmos. Sometimes they also talked about what they thought of the lunch they had been served. The important thing was rarely what they talked about it; it was the fact that they were talking to each other, getting to know each other better that mattered to Eraqus. He grew closer and closer to Xehanort each day, getting to know more and more about him, from the different knots he knew how to tie to his third favorite reptile.

 

It all just felt… Natural, and pretty soon he felt as if Xehanort had always been at the school, as if they had always been sitting in the room high up in the tower, playing chess with each other every afternoon. It was as if they were childhood friends that had met during their last teenage years. Not meeting Xehanort each day suddenly felt like an absurd thought to Eraqus.

 

However, as the end of the month edged closer their chess matches grew fewer; Xehanort trained more and more in the courtyard each day, eventually telling Eraqus that they had to play during mealtimes if it was going to happen at all. Eraqus was sad but remained silent and didn’t object; he knew Xehanort had still not been able to summon a keyblade and was stressed out about it. He had contemplated on discussing it with his friend when they were alone, but he found it increasingly harder as the days went by, especially due to the fact that they were now playing in a public space.

 

So, when an upcoming event was announced during class Eraqus thought that it would be a perfect distraction from the rigorous training Xehanort put himself through every single day. And so, during their next match of chess, Eraqus decided to bring it up. They were sitting in the dining hall, close to the windows at the far end for some privacy. They also sat there so the loud noise from all the other students wouldn’t disturb them. Eraqus had just moved his rook on the board as he casually brought it up.

 

“You know… There is a ball coming up this weekend. I think it could be fun.”

 

Xehanort did not respond immediately as he was observing the chessboard, and when he spoke it was in a somewhat monotone tone.

 

“A ball?”

Xehanort moved his pawn forward and retreated his hand to scoop up more food from his tray, chewing silently as he glanced at Eraqus, who hummed as he moved his bishop on the chessboard.

 

“You know, dancing. The entire school will gather in the great hall. It’s a pretty big event.”

 

Xehanort swallowed the food with an audible gulp and set aside his plate, licking the corner of his mouth that had some food stuck on it.

 

“I know what dancing is, Eraqus.”

 

Eraqus smiled as he looked up at Xehanort who dried his fingers on his napkin.

 

“Did you have ballroom dancing on your island?”

 

Xehanort put down the napkin and rested his face in the palm of his right hand, while his left hand hovered over his knight on the board.

 

“We had festivals. Sort of the same thing really, we ate, drank and danced well into the night. There were quite a few drunken fights as well. Can I expect that at this ball as well?”

 

Eraqus laughed and smiled as he stared at Xehanort who didn’t seem too enthusiastic about the prospect of dancing, but grinning at him, nonetheless.

 

“And did you participate?”

 

“In the brawls?”

 

Eraqus giggled for a second as he shook his head while Xehanort smirked right back at him before he looked down at the board and prepared to move his knight.

 

“No, I meant… Did you ever dance?”

 

Xehanort glanced up at Eraqus, who seemed oddly interested in knowing about whether Xehanort knew how to waltz or not. Xehanort moved his knight across the chessboard and took one of Eraquss’ pieces as he spoke, placing it on his side of the dining table.

 

“I learned how to dance in school, as it was mandatory, but I never cared much for the festivals. I ate the food and drank what they offered, but I never felt a strong urge to strut around the fire in circles like the others while singing.”

 

Eraqus smirked at Xehanort for a moment before he looked down on the chessboard.

 

“Couldn’t find a dance partner, eh?”

 

Xehanort pursed his lips and squinted his eyes as he stared across the board, a vein in his forehead visible from the increased blood flow from the last comment. Eraqus shot him a cheeky grin as he glanced up at him. Xehanort huffed as he spoke.

 

“I could have danced with anyone. I simply chose not to.”

 

Eraqus rolled his eyes and hummed as he moved his bishop diagonally and took one of Xehanorts’ pawns.

 

“If you say so…”

 

Xehanort felt his blood pump a little bit faster as Eraqus cheeky tone and attitude was quite evident.

 

“And what about you? Are you going to the ball to with someone?”

 

Eraqus looked up at Xehanort who was now staring directly at him over the dining table.

 

“I haven’t decided on anyone yet. But I thought it would be more fun if you were there. Who knows, you might meet someone and even have some fun while you’re there.”

 

The tone at that moment was not meant to mock Xehanort; Eraqus really wanted him there. It would just be a night of dancing, feasting and hopefully some fun too, something he thought Xehanort could use. Xehanort stared at Eraqus in silence for a moment before  he looked down at the chessboard once again.

 

“We’ll see. When is it?”

 

Eraqus perked up immediately and smiled as he looked at Xehanort.

 

“Does that mean you’ll go?”

 

Xehanort scoffed as he glanced up.

 

“I only asked when it was; I never said I would go.”

 

His tone suggested that he was a bit irritated, but Eraqus didn’t care; he was just happy that Xehanort was interested in the first place. He would make sure to convince him to go before the day of the ball. The two of them finished the game while also finishing their lunch, Eraqus walking off to his own classes while Xehanort retreated to the courtyard for more training with his master.

 

They didn’t talk much about his training, in fact Eraqus was almost afraid to bring it up; it was clear that he had not been able to summon the keyblade yet, otherwise Eraqus was pretty sure he would have been told. It was now only a little bit over a week left until Xehanort would have to go home.

 

In truth, Eraqus saw the ball as a chance for Xehanort to have some fun in the world he had discovered, to make some pleasant memories before he was sent back. He obviously hoped that Xehanort would stay with him, but he had never heard of anyone accomplishing what Xehanort was attempting to do. The odds were definitively against him. Still, Eraqus held hope that his friend would persevere through the ordeal; he was, if nothing else, persistent. Every day he got up early and trained, and no amount of bruises or bleeding could stop him from walking back to the same courtyard. He had seen his master drill him on the fundamentals over and over, seen them spar and meditate together. It seemed she was as dedicated to training Xehanort as Xehanort was dedicated to learning. But some things were impossible, no matter how much one might wish that they weren’t.

 

Eraqus would know. He had lost things he wished he could get back. His own world had been lost to darkness. The memories of that day still haunted him. No matter how much he had prayed, hoped, or trained he could not bring it back. The only thing he could do was to get stronger and eradicate all the darkness from all the worlds. That was his mission, his goal. He would not be able to bring back what he had lost, but he could make sure that no one else had to lose what he had lost.

 

As he trained, he promised himself that he would be the one to defend all worlds, that he would be the light against the darkness. That was what motivated him to become a keyblade master, one who could stand against the darkness. However, still to this day Eraqus felt panic when he recalled the darkness almost swallowing him. He was still afraid of the darkness and he hated it. He had a nightlight in his room just because he couldn’t sleep if he was surrounded by darkness; it made him too anxious and afraid, as if he was back in his own world when the darkness was closing in, consuming all there was and suffocating him in his sleep. He was ashamed of his own fear, but it only drove him further and further to become stronger. He hated the darkness and would do anything to destroy it. Anything.

 

Eraqus stopped in the corridor as he was walking, spotting Yen Sid waiting outside the door to the classroom. Early as always, the stoic boy stood still as he read his book in the corridor, stopping putting one finger on the page he was reading when he saw Eraqus.

 

“Ah, Eraqus. Thought you were playing chess with that islander.”

 

Eraqus sighed and closed his eyes momentarily. Yen Sid still referred to Xehanort as the “islander”, apparently not dignifying him by calling him by his real name. He was still sour that Xehanort was at the school and made it clear whenever he could, much to the dismay of Eraqus who was forced to listen. Eraqus walked forward to his old friend and stood next to him in the corridor.

 

“We finished the game early today. Xehanort had to get back to his training with my master.”

 

Yen Sid scoffed as he looked back down in his book where his index finger had been placed earlier.

 

“I thought he would have realized that his efforts were pointless by this point. Guess he isn’t so smart, though I suppose that makes sense for someone who thought he could bargain for keyblade training.”

 

Eraqus pursed his lips; He and Yen Sid had gotten on together well enough before, but it was clear now that Xehanort had become a sensitive matter and a divide between the two of them.

 

“Why do you have such an issue with him?”

 

Yen Sid sighed and closed his book as he stared down at Eraqus.

 

“Because he is taking precious time away from the master to entertain his childish fantasy dream of becoming a keyblade master. He wastes her time because he has convinced himself that he could become one of us. At the same time, he is also mocking the long historical tradition of keyblade wielders. The ones who are meant to become keyblade wielders are chosen by the masters or the keyblades themselves, not trained because they had a bargaining chip.”

 

Yen Sid stared down intently at Eraqus as he spoke, his tone even yet the hint of judgement evident.

 

“The masters and keyblades choose those who are worthy of becoming wielders because of their inherent qualities; your friends’ presence here is nothing more than a fluke of sheer luck and happenstance. He isn’t meant to be here with the rest of us; he is not like us. The sooner he is gone the better off the master and our school is.”

 

Eraqus grip on his book became tighter and tighter as he listened to Yen Sid talk about Xehanort that way, but he said nothing; he merely gritted his teeth and focused his gaze on the locked white door in front of him, not wanting to meet the others’ eyes that were staring down at him. That did not stop Yen Sid from talking to him though, and once again Eraqus found himself forced to listen to his friend, lest he be rude and walk away. Although at this point, he felt that Yen Sid was the rude one.

 

“You know it’s true, like the rest of us, so stop denying it. At this point its almost sad, like a dying animal that refuses to accept its inevitable fate, struggling to hold on. Everyone has a role and place in this universe, and the sooner the islander acknowledges that fact the more content he will be.”

 

Eraqus was extremely close to going off on Yen Sid at the last comment, but their teacher arrived at that moment, interrupting the moment of tension between them. That didn’t mean that the conversation he had had with Yen Sid left his mind though. For the rest of the day it was stuck inside his head, and as much as he hated what Yen Sid had said he knew that there was a grain of truth to it; the keyblade wielders were chosen by the masters or the keyblades. Xehanort had not been chosen. Eraqus sighed as he slumped forward in his desk, head resting in his folded arms. He really hoped Xehanort would prove Yen Sid and the rest of the school wrong, but the odds were not in his favor.  Still, Eraqus did not give up hope, and he hoped Xehanort would not either.

 

When the last class for the day was over it was time for dinner. Eraqus quickly ran up to his room to put the books away.  He took his wooden chessboard with him before he ran out the room and raced down the long stairs, catching Xehanort as he was entering the castle.

 

“Hey!”

 

Xehanort turned to his right to the sight of Eraqus making his way over to him. He smiled for a brief moment, feeling tired yet happy that he had made at least one friend in the world. Even if that friend insisted that he should go to a ball. And that chess was played according to his rules.

 

“Hey there yourself. Off to dinner?”

 

It was a somewhat stupid question at this point and more of a formality; it was hardly the first time that they had run into each other at this hour to eat, yet Xehanort asked anyway.

“Yup! How was it today?”

Another routine question, one which more often than not had the response “intense” and “frustrating” in it. Nevertheless, their conversations were never unpleasant or boring, and Xehanort enjoyed the times when he could converse with Eraqus. They walked off to the dining hall together, Eraqus holding his wooden box tight against his chest as they made their way through the thick masses of the other students.

 

As always Eraqus found them a table while Xehanort took his food, switching places with Eraqus and setting up the board. Same as always. Xehanort set up the wooden pieces gently on the board, silently musing on whether or not he would be introduced to any new rules before the day was over…

 

As they began playing it seemed that Eraqus had no such plans, but Xehanort was always wary of the other player. Any time they were in the endgame he was on high alert, and he swore that Eraqus knew that. He tried to keep his face calm, a stone mask that would not crack under pressure. But then Eraqus would look up at him with that mischievous, almost sly expression that made it near impossible for him to not lose it, either laughing or shouting at the ridiculous move that he tried to pull off.

 

Still, at the end of the day each game left him with satisfaction and a smile on his face, whether he won or lost. He never admitted when he lost, as he still considered Eraqus to be cheating, even if he allowed it. Eraqus would always be so cheeky about it too, pointing his index finger at him and grinning, or even poking into his cheek as he laughed at how sour he would become when he was bested.

 

As they played Xehanort couldn’t help but notice that they had indeed become very close during the time that he had been in the school… He had known people far longer than he had Eraqus, yet he had never talked so much with them, let alone had such… Intimate contact with them. Xehanort coughed slightly as he covered his mouth with his right hand, trying to cover his face. He suddenly felt a bit self-conscious about how close he was to Eraqus… Was it normal for friends to hug as much as they did? The casual touches, the fingertips that would sometimes brush against one another when they two of them reached for the same piece as they packed up the game after another long day of playing… They would always quickly retreat their hands, Eraqus doing so almost inhumanly fast, his cheeks red and the boy flustered a bit as he laughed nervously before hurriedly picking up another piece off the board.

 

Xehanort might be inexperienced in the more… Emotional department, but he was not dense. There was something else between them… Right? Were these strange feelings of happiness that welled up when he was his friend after a long day just friendly? Xehanort sighed as he closed his eyes momentarily. Maybe he was just imagining things. In the end his focus should not be on such things. He could still not summon a keyblade and time was running out. He needed to focus, he needed-

 

“Hey, I just realized something; You don’t have any clothes for the ball, do you?”

 

As Xehanorts train of thought derailed he looked up at Eraqus, trying to recall what he said.

 

“Come again?”

 

Eraqus looked at him as he folded his arms on the table and looked over at him.

 

“Clothes. For the ball. Do you have any?”

 

Xehanort blinked in confusion for a moment before he opened his mouth and closed it again. Clothes. Right. He hadn’t been given any clothes like that, which made sense he supposed. He was not officially a student yet, so why would he be given clothes to an event that was for the students? All he had been given were pajamas and some spare clothes to wear while his other pair were being washed.

 

Xehanort shook his head at his friend, who closed his mouth as he was no doubt thinking about how he could remedy the situation. Xehanort groaned as Eraquss’ face lit up; he had a plan, and he doubted he was going to like it.

 

“We can go shopping!”

 

Yep, he was right. Xehanort rested his head in the palm of his right hand, his elbow against the dining table.

 

“With what money? I wasn’t exactly carrying around my piggy bank when I came to this world if you recall, and it’s not like I am getting paid to study here.”

 

“We’ll just- wait, piggy bank? You have a piggy bank?”

 

Eraqus laughed in his seat as he stared at Xehanort, who suddenly felt a bit flustered when people around started to turn their heads their way to see what Eraqus was laughing about. Xehanort pulled his head up from his right hand as he put his index finger over his mouth.

 

“Shh! No, I was just saying that-“

 

“Is it pink? Please tell me it’s pink.”

 

Xehanort squinted his eyes as his cheeks became slightly darker, much to the amusement of Eraqus who was grinning as he kept his fist in front of his mouth to keep himself from snickering too much.

 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying this so much.”  

 

Eraqus smiled as he stared at his friend across the table, visibly sour by now.

 

“Oh, come on, you know I’m kidding.”

 

Xehanort merely huffed as he moved his bishop as soon as Eraqus had moved his pawn, taking one of Eraquss’ pieces. Eraqus glanced up and saw that Xehanorts’ eyebrows were furrowed as he stared silently at the board.

 

“So then… Shall we go get you some nice clothes? The shops are still open for almost three hours, if we hurry, we can make it.”

 

Xehanort glanced up from the board.

 

“I still don’t have any munny, unless you forgot that detail.”

 

Eraqus sighed as he smiled, moving his tower on the chessboard.

 

“I can pay for the clothes, I have more than enough munny.”

 

Xehanort raised an eyebrow as his left hand hovered over the chessboard.

 

“And why would you do that?”

 

Eraqus sighed. ‘Because we are friends you dummy…’ But for some reason he found it hard to say it out loud, and before he could say anything Xehanort continued speaking.

 

“You want to make me wear some weird clothes, is that it?”

 

Xehanorts’ tone was humorous as he spoke, and Eraqus chuckled as he stared over at his friend.

 

“Maybe?”

 

“Mhm, should have known.”

 

Both of them chuckled as they continued playing the game, finishing it up as well as dinner before they headed out of the dining hall. As they made their way through the hall and were about to pass by the large entrance, Eraqus grabbed Xehanorts’ arm. Xehanort stopped walking and turned to Eraqus, his face showing confusion as to why they had stopped. Eraqus pointed with his thumb at the large door as he smiled. Xehanort stared at the door and then Eraqus.

 

“You were serious about buying clothes today?”

 

Eraqus still held onto Xehanorts’ right arm with his left hand, nodding as he silently stared at his friend. Xehanort looked at him with an expression that said that he was both surprised and tired.

 

“I thought you were joking.”

 

Eraqus feigned being hurt by his comment as he placed his right hand over his chest.

 

“Hey, I can be serious!”

 

Xehanort snorted, turning to face Eraqus in the corridor.

 

“Now there’s a joke.”

 

Eraqus rolled his eyes as he waited for Xehanort to give him an answer. Xehanort squinted his eyes as he stared at the large door, and when he looked back at Eraqus he was greeted by a familiar pair of hopeful, doe eyes that looked at him the same way they had done before… And just like before Xehanort felt his resolve crumbling as the puppy eyes stared into his very soul. Xehanort closed his eyes and sighed loudly, with Eraqus grinning as he knew he had once again won his friend over. They walked out of the castle together, heading down the streets that were illuminated by the street lamps and their familiar yellow lights.

 

Xehanort was groaning every once in a while, as they trotted down the old street, with Eraqus eventually looking over at him.

 

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad. We’re just buying you some clothes after all.”

 

Xehanort glanced over at him with a look that said, ‘you wouldn’t understand’. Eraqus walked closer to Xehanort and put his left arm over his shoulder as he smiled at him.

 

“Come on, stop being grumpy. I know a great shop that will have the perfect clothes for you.”

 

Xehanort huffed as he looked over to his right where a railing was. They were walking over a bridge that had water running underneath it.

 

“I am not being grumpy.”

 

Eraqus smiled as they continued to walk, his hand lingering on Xehanorts’ shoulder for a while. They were both aware of it, yet Xehanort made no move to remove it, simply walking along the quiet street. Eventually they made their way to the shop, where an old man greeted them. It was not the largest shop that Xehanort had seen so far when they walked through the town, but it had… Charm, an old rustic one so to speak. The outside of the shop had a wooden door with a big glass window where the name of the shop was written in golden letters in cursive. Very classy.

 

Eraqus explained the situation and the old man laughed as he shook his head, looking over at Xehanort who cocked his head slightly to the side, confused about the laughter.

 

“It’s the same every year, someone comes in last minute wanting a suit… Some things never change I suppose. Come on young man, let’s see if we can find something ‘suiting’ for you.”

 

The old man laughed at his own pun, and Xehanort glanced over at Eraqus, who merely grinned at him as Xehanort was being dragged off to the dressing room with a look that said, ‘save me’. The next few hours were… Painful to say the least. Well, for Xehanort at least. Eraqus certainly had his fun, watching Xehanort change into various suits over and over, asking him to spin around like some kind of a ballerina before ultimately shaking his head in disapproval.

 

Xehanort groaned as he pulled off the tight blazer from his body. And he thought keyblade training was hard. Turned out shopping clothes with Eraqus was harder and more exhausting. He sighed as he put away the blazer on the bench ion the dressing room. He still couldn’t believe that he was putting himself through this farce. This was the last thing he should spend his time on. And yet… Eraqus seemed to really want him along for that ball. Xehanort glanced down for a moment before he stared at himself in the large mirror on the wall. He had never had someone who earnestly wanted him with them before. It was an odd feeling, yet he liked it. It felt warm inside his chest when he thought about how happy it would make Eraqus. Was that normal? His thoughts drifted back to what he had been thinking about at the dining table.

 

Xehanort sighed as he stuck the blazer outside of the black the curtain that separated him from Eraqus and the shop owner, who took the blazer and handed him another blasted suit. Damn it, how many suits were in this tiny shop? Xehanort put on the grey suit and walked outside, arms raised to his sides as he looked over at Eraqus who was sitting in a large chair, eyes roaming over his body.

 

Eraqus rolled his eyes as he saw how miserable Xehanort looked.

 

“Come on, it’s not that bad.”

 

“For you maybe, I’m being tortured by you, that’s what you’re doing to me here.”

 

 “Oh please, you like me, admit it.”

 

“I tolerate you at best…”

 

Xehanort grumbled the words as he turned around, with Eraqus sighing as he looked at the suit.

 

“I don’t know… The grey matches your eyes, but I feel like it could be better…”

 

Xehanort turned his head around and squinted his eyes at Eraqus.

 

“Should I dress up as a chess piece? Would that satisfy you?”

 

Eraquss’ eyes widened, and Xehanort felt panic as an idea had sparked inside his friends head.

 

“Hey, I was kidding! Hey!”

 

But it was too little too late, with Eraqus getting out of the chair and quickly marching over to the owner of the shop, bringing him to the other side of the room. Xehanort groaned as he sat down in the cushion chair that Eraqus had been sitting in. He was exhausted and near passing out. Not to mention he had to get up early tomorrow for training. This was not worth it. He should just go. But… Eraqus seemed really excited about whatever idea he had given him. Xehanort sighed and leaned his head back. Why did he go along with all of this?

 

“Xehanort, try this suit!”

 

Snapped out of his momentary rest, Xehanort craned his head back to see the suit. He squinted his eyes as he stared at it; it was mostly black though he could make out what seemed to be a faint chess pattern on it. Underneath was a white shirt and a grey vest. There was also a black tie as well. The whole getup was very similar to his regular clothes, only a bit fancier he supposed. Xehanort glanced over to Eraqus who had a big grin on his face. ‘Sigh…’, well if Eraqus wanted him to wear it he supposed he might as well, Xehanort thought to himself as he sat in silence for a moment. Xehanort rose out of the chair slowly, taking the suit from Eraqus and stepping into the dressing room. He put it on with relative ease, stepping out to see both the owner and Eraqus stare at him in excitement.

“Well, is this good enough for you?”

The question was both to Eraqus and the shop owner, as the latter had seemed to become increasingly invested in what Xehanort would wear to the ball as the night went on. They both took a look at Xehanort, looked at each other and nodded, smiling as they did so. Xehanort searched Eraquss’ eyes for an answer, and when he smiled and gave him a ‘thumbs up’ he gave a sigh of deep relief, causing Eraqus to laugh out loud in the shop.

Xehanort walked into the dressing room, took off the clothes and walked out, handing them to the owner. Eraqus told Xehanort to walk out ahead of him, at which Xehanort raised an eyebrow. Did Eraqus have something planned? Or perhaps… Was it that he didn’t want him to see the bill? Xehanort opened the wooden door and felt the chilly night air hit him as he stepped outside, the old bell on top of the door chiming loudly as he closed it behind him.

Xehanort stood outside the shop for a while, hands deep in his pockets as he stared up at the starry night sky above. When he had been younger, he had always snuck out at nights like these, when the stars shone brightly up in the night sky. Xehanort had been told by the master that there was darkness in each persons’ heart, and that that darkness was dangerous. Xehanort wasn’t sure of what to make of it. He had never thought of darkness as something evil. Living on the island where the sunlight had been harsh almost every day, the chilly night came as moment of brief relief for him and he gladly welcomed it. It was also because of the darkness that the night brought that he was able to see all the beautiful stars in the night sky, each one a world he had dreamed of visiting.

 

The darkness had been what had given him hope, it was what had showed him the hidden light up in the sky. Xehanort smiled as he reminisced fondly about his past when he had been stargazing, before he heard the door open behind him, as well as the now familiar chime of the doorbell hanging on the top of the door. Eraqus stepped out, holding two large bags in his hands. Xehanort squinted his eyes as he stared at the suspicious bag and then his friend. This couldn’t bode well.

 

“Why do you have two bags?”

 

Xehanort walked closer as he stared at the bags, but Eraqus put one of them, the one he held with his right hand, behind his back and held out the other one in front of Xehanort.

 

“This one is for you. The other one is a surprise.”

 

Xehanort stood still for a moment as he looked at Eraqus and the bag before sighing and taking the bag, checking inside to see if it was the suit he had worn in the shop. As he peeked inside, he could see that it indeed was, although there was no receipt. He guessed that Eraqus did not want him to see how much it cost, or what he had bought that was in the other bag. As he looked inside the bag Eraqus turned around and motioned for them to walk back, and Xehanort was too tired to object.  They walked through the town in silence for a while, Eraqus apparently a bit tired as well by now.

 

When they were almost out of the town, they came up to a bar where three people stepped, or rather stumbled, outside, their steps wavy and slow as it seemed that they were all intoxicated. Xehanort payed no mind to them as they approached, but one of them called out to them.

 

“Hey, wait a minute… Ain’t you that new kid?”

 

Xehanort felt his eye twitch for a moment as he continued walking forward, Eraqus walking on his left side silently, staring ahead. Xehanort came to a stop when a rough hand grabbed his right shoulder, preventing him from moving. The hand dug into his coat and he turned around to see the person who had a hold on him.

 

By the looks of it, it was another student, roughly the same age as him. He was wearing a plain white shirt tucked into his black pants, although some parts had slipped out. The boy leaned forward a bit and stared at Xehanort in silence for a moment, mouth open and teeth showing. Xehanorts’ nose wrinkled as he felt the disgusting, warm breath ooze out of the intoxicated boys’ mouth as it hit his face. His eyes were glossy and empty, unfocused as they stared at him. Xehanort furrowed his eyebrows, trying to keep calm but growing more and more irritated at the hand that was placed on his shoulder without his permission.

 

“You’re… You’re the new kid, right? The new kid?”

 

The boy gave a toothy grin and turned his head back to his two friends, who smiled as they took a step forward. They were both laughing, their breaths coming out as steam in the cool night air, visible only due to the yellow light pouring down from the black lamp posts on the street.

 

“Holy, shit I think its him! What are you doing here island boy? Buying coconuts?”

 

The boy on the left of Xehanort, behind the one who had grabbed his shoulder spoke, flashing his white teeth as he stared at him like he was better than him. Xehanort pursed his lips as his eyes glanced over at the boy for a moment, his shit-eating grin never leaving his face as he staggered closer. Xehanort looked back at the person in front of him that was staring at him, mouth open and eyes empty.

 

“W-well, are you?”

 

He spoke in a sluggish tone, burping right in his face and laughing loudly along with his friends. Xehanort gritted his teeth as the foul smell hit his face, feeling that he had had quite enough of this tomfoolery.

“Get your hand off me.”

 

He looked the boy right in his stupid pig eyes as he spoke, trying to keep his tone even. They boy stood in silence for a moment, not responding at all and hand still on his shoulder.

 

“What was that?”

 

He was slurring at this point and Xehanort used his left hand to remove the hand on his left shoulder, pulling it away. The boy looked in dismay at his hand being removed, almost seeming offended. He put it right back, staring at Xehanort and grinned before he laughed. Xehanort felt as if a vein would pop at any moment as he stared with fury at the boy in front of him, his two companions snickering in the background as they now stood behind their leader.

 

“Hey, come on Xehanort, let’s go…”

 

Eraqus voice cut through the tension like a knife, and both Xehanort and the drunk boy looked to their side to see an uncomfortable Eraqus.

 

“ Kseha... What? Whoo, the hell is this? Yourr--- boy? Boyfriend?”

 

The boy stared back and forth between Xehanort and Eraqus, who had become a bit flustered by the comment. ‘He must be embarrassed by the situation’ Xehanort thought to himself as he stared back at the drunken boy. The other boy on the right behind the leader spoke up, adding nothing of value to their pointless conversation.

 

“You buying coconuts for your boyfriend?”

 

And that was their cue to leave. Xehanort removed the hand from his shoulder once again and took a step backwards before the intoxicated fool could lay his hand on him once more.

 

“Come on.”

 

Xehanort muttered the words as he spun around, motioning for Eraqus to follow with his head, and the other was eager to follow. They got a few steps before Xehanort, out of the corner of his left eye, saw Eraqus being dragged backwards by two forceful hand.

 

“Hey, hey, wait a minute, where are you going! We’re talking!”

 

The boy had grabbed Eraqus and held him in a tight grip. Eraquss’ bag fell to the ground, with one of the boys darting forward. He picked it up and looked inside.

 

“What’s this shit?”

 

One of the boys that had previously observed from behind the leader was now laughing as he pulled out a black shirt of the bag, the other one walking forward to grab it.

 

“Hey, let go of me! Don’t touch that!”

 

Eraqus struggled as his hands were on the drunk boy who had grabbed him by the collar of his coat. Eraqus looked off at his right side where the boys were laughing, one looking at the shirt and the other digging through the bag. The drunk boy seemed more and more angry as Eraqus struggled in his grip, and Xehanort felt his blood boil, rage filling his entire being as he stepped forward in a big stride.

 

“DON’T TOUCH MY BEST FRIEND!”

 

He roared out the words so loudly, furiously, that everyone, including Eraqus, seemed to jump out of their skin. Xehanort quickly placed his right hand on Eraqus and his left on the drunk boy, pulling them apart aggressively while pushing the drunk boy down on his stupid drunken ass on the cold brick road. The two other boys stood in shock for a moment, the street completely silent. Then they dropped the clothes onto the ground and ran forward, charging at Xehanort.

 

Xehanort cracked his neck right and left before he put up his fists, Eraqus standing in silence behind him, still startled by his outburst. The boy on Xehanorts’ right took a swing at him, but being intoxicated did not make the boy faster, and certainly not lighter on his feet. His movements were clumsy, and Xehanort easily dodged the fist and grabbed the wrist, pulling the boy forward and punching him in the gut with a decisive blow, causing the drunkard to let out a sound that was a mix between a gasp and a puking sound. The other boy was not far behind, but Xehanort simply pushed the boy he had already punched at him, causing the two to fall on top of each other. They swore as they had now fallen onto the street, with the leader in the middle standing up on shaky legs. Xehanort put up his fists.

 

“Try putting your hand on me again. See what happens.”

 

The boy had no spine, and the drunk boy knew that Xehanort knew. He had met many like him, big talk but nothing to back it up. People like him only had confidence if they knew they could win, so they travelled in packs, ganging up on individuals and getting high on the control they felt they had. Well, now the boy was practically alone, his backup on the street groaning as they tried to pull themselves up. Xehanorts’ gaze hardened as his eyes bore into the very soul of the boy in front of him, whose resolve was crumbling by the second. His legs were shaking, eyes darting to his friends who seemed to still struggle with getting back up, no doubt due to the alcohol.

 

And as one of them puked on the other it seemed their little brawl had come to an end. Another person stepped out of the bar, an adult, who looked at the situation with a somewhat concerned look. The leader put down his fists and took half a step back.

 

“He attacked us, he’s a psychopath!”

 

He pointed and waved his finger at Xehanort, staring with wide eyes at the adult. Typical. Weak little shits like him loved doing whatever they wanted, but as soon as it got a little hot behind the ears, they tried to shift the blame on someone else. If you had seen one you had seen them all. The adult raised an eyebrow but said nothing, perhaps a bit buzzed himself. When the leader of the drunk group saw that he was getting no support he swore and walked off into the town from where Eraqus and Xehanort had come from, his two companions staggering after him.

 

The street grew silent again, the only sound Xehanort could hear was the sound of his heart beating furiously in his chest, slowly calming down as his pulse went down as well. Almost like an afterthought he turned back to look at Eraqus, who stood still behind him, hands clenched into fists. Xehanort looked at him, trying to see if he was hurt. He seemed fine, if only a bit shocked.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

The question was stupid and Xehanort knew it, but it was the only thing he could think of at the moment. Eraqus looked at him and blinked quickly for a moment, almost as if he had just snapped out of a trance, a spell put upon him. Eraqus opened his mouth and let it stay that way for a moment before he shook his head.

 

“Wha, yes, yes! I’m fine, I’m…”

 

Eraqus seemed to be at a loss for words as well, but he seemed alright at least, and that was all that Xehanort cared about. He smiled in relief and turned his gaze away as he looked at the street and the opened bag, the clothes now on the dirty ground. Xehanorts’ eyebrows furrowed as he gritted his teeth for a moment, furious at what the drunk idiots had done to his friends’ clothes. He walked over and carefully picked them up from the ground, trying his best to dust them off and see if they were damaged or torn. They seemed alright but would most certainly need a wash before they could be worn.

 

Xehanort sat in a crouched position on the street as he put them back in the bag in silence before he stood up, turning back to Eraqus who had walked over to him. He held up the bag in his left hand and held it out to Eraqus who took it and looked inside in silence.

 

“I’m afraid that the clothes are a bit dirty, but they don’t seem damaged at least.”

 

Eraqus looked up at Xehanort, who offered a small smile before he walked off to his left where the bar was and picked up his own bag as well. He had almost forgotten about it in the tussle.

 

Xehanort turned back to Eraqus who was silent. Xehanort felt a bit of concern at the silence between the two of them and walked forward.

 

“What is it? Something wrong?”

 

Xehanort looked at Eraqus, who stared back at him for a moment before he spoke in a low tone.

 

“You… Back then, did you mean that?”

 

Xehanort furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to recall what Eraqus was referring to. When he said nothing Eraqus took a small breath and clutched the bag he was holding a bit tighter.

 

“You said I was your best friend.”

 

Xehanort blinked for a moment as the words sunk in. Had he said that? He had felt so much rage in the moment that he had not really thought about what he had said. It seemed silly really.

 

And yet… Eraqus was staring at him so intently right now, his eyes wide, uncertain and searching his for an answer… Xehanort swallowed and smiled awkwardly.

“Well, I…”

 

Xehanort averted his eyes for a moment, but the way Eraqus was staring at him, hanging on to every word… It made Xehanort feel something inside. What it was he could not say, but he knew he needed to say the truth, no matter how corny and embarrassing it made him feel, even though he did not know why that was either.

 

“Yeah, I guess I did.”

 

There. It was done. It was said. It was out in the open, out in the cold, chilly, empty street in the town. His words left his mouth and silence followed, save for the beating of his heart that had sped up once more. Xehanort stared down at Eraqus, whose eyes and face suddenly lit up as he smiled wholeheartedly at him before he closed the space between them and hugged him tightly, his arms tight hold making it hard for Xehanort to breathe. Xehanort almost fell backwards from the force of the hug, his right leg quickly stepping back to support him.

 

“Achk, Eraqus! Air!”

 

Xehanort squirmed in the tight hug, tapping the back of Eraquss’ back. He wanted to get out of this hig, but a part of him felt… Happy? Eraqus seemed so happy at what he had said, and it was hard for Xehanort not to feel happy too. Why he should feel happy he did not know, but it was a nice feeling. Eraqus pulled away after a moment, Xehanort quickly sucking in air as his friend had both hands still on his arms, staring at him with a smile on his face.

 

“I’m your best friend!”

 

Xehanort squinted his eyes for a moment as he opened his mouth, trying to figure out what he was to respond that statement with. He simply gave a small smile and nodded, putting his hands on Eraquss’ the two of them now holding each other’s arms.

 

It was one of the weirdest things Xehanort had experienced, which was something considering he had been transported to another world by a plastic star toy.  They stood with their arms on each other for less than a second, yet the moment felt endless for Xehanort, smiling as he felt a small chuckle escape through his lips a Eraqus seemed so happy to be his best friend.

 

“You’re my best friend too!”

 

Eraqus suddenly spoke, as if he had just figured out something he had been trying to remember for a while too. Xehanort chuckled as he stared at his friend who was so corny and cheesy that it was impossible not to laugh at him. Xehanort smiled warmly at his friend – well, best friend he supposed. Xehanort shook his head for a moment before he ruffled Eraquss’ hair and turned his head towards the castle.

“Come on, its late. Time to get back.”

 

He spoke as nonchalantly as he could muster, but it was hard to keep his smile and laugh away as the entire situation for the past few minutes had been an emotional roller coaster for him. Eraqus grinned and walked forward, stepping close to him as they walked back.

 

“Sure thing, bestie.”

 

Xehanort raised an eyebrow and let out a small groan.

 

“Please don’t call me that.”

 

Eraqus grinned as he walked forward on the brick street.

 

“We’re best friends! That means we must have nicknames for each other!”

 

Xehanort groaned again, rolling his eyes for a moment.

 

“It certainly does not.”

 

Eraqus put a hand under his chin and began to hum.

 

“Now then, what should I call you?”

 

“Xehanort, which is my name.”

 

Xehanort was not amused by the way Eraqus grinned at him as they walked.

 

“How about… Nort?”

 

Xehanort opened his mouth and Eraqus grinned at how offended he seemed.

 

“If you call me that I swear I will…”

 

Xehanort pointed at Eraqus with his right hands index finger as he spoke, with Eraqus giggling at how roused up Xehanort had gotten over the nickname.

 

“What will you do, Nort?”

Xehanort squinted his eyes, lips pursed as Eraqus continued to giggle at how angry he was at the nickname, his left hand covering his mouth as he tried to stifle the laughter pouring out. Xehanort had a hard time stopping himself from laughing as well, a grin emerging from his previously pursed lips.

 

The two of them walked down the dimly lit street together, their laughter filling the chilly air around them. And despite the night being as dark and cold as it was, the two boys felt warm inside as both of them now knew for certain that they both had a place in the other ones heart. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: Well, I had written the first part of this chapter a while ago and managed to finish it today, though I think it could have been a bit better... Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I have never been drunk and have only a vague idea of how drunk people talk/act from watching movies, so please don't laugh at my writing too much haha.
> 
> Also, I have some ideas for future chapters with more fluff if you people want more of this series that is.
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments telling me what you thought of the chapter or what you would like to see and if you want this series to go on. I read all comments and appreaciate every single one of them, long or short alike!


	4. Let me tell you a story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eraqus is still haunted by his past, as well as his feelings in the present for a certain someone. During a bad storm he ends up seeking comfort from an unexpected source.

**Authors note:**

_This chapter is not so much an original chapter as it is several ideas that I have seen around the internet stitched together. Some parts are new, but some parts are also borrowed, so I just want to clear the air right off the bat. That being said, I hope you enjoy this delayed chapter, especially for those of you who have been waiting a long time for an update. I hope you like it._

 

 

When Eraqus was a child he had always loved hearing stories about other worlds. It did not matter if they were small or big, or if the characters were animals or human. He just enjoyed listening to all the adventures they would go on.

 

Every night after he had washed his teeth his mother would always tuck him in in his bed, turn on the night lamp at his bedside and lie with him in his small bed, reading a fairy tale to him. She would often make up noises for when something dramatic or funny happened in the book, exaggerating it to the point that Eraqus started laughing or giggling. When the story was over Eraqus always begged her to read him another one, tugging at her sleeve to make her stay, and each time she would do so, until he fell asleep halfway through the story.

 

When he had fallen asleep, she would gently sit up in his bed and tuck him back in, but she always left the light on in case he woke up. Nowadays Eraqus could not sleep unless the light was on. It was as if when the light was in his room, so too was his mother, watching over him when he fell asleep.

 

When Eraqus had been chosen by the master to be a keyblade wielder he had not known what to think of it. It had been an ordinary day when a strange woman had appeared in his town. It had almost seemed as if she was looking for something when Eraqus saw her. As it turned out, it had been Eraqus that she had been looking for.

 

Eraqus had still been very young back then, travelling to Scala ad Caelum and back to his home whenever he could. It had taken almost a year before he had been able to fully summon his keyblade. He could still recall how ecstatic he had been back then; how proud his family had been. Looking back, he wished he had hugged his mother and father more, told them how much they meant to him. It was supposed to be an ordinary visit home, time meant for spending with his family.

 

But the day that Eraqus had looked forward to would become the worst day of his life as of yet. They had been sitting outside, eating lunch under the basking sunlight when a shadow had fallen upon them. At first, they didn’t think much about it, figuring it was merely a cloud passing by in the sky that blocked the sun. But soon enough the darkness spread, engulfing every corner of the world. Eraqus had tried to fight off the creatures that sprung from the very ground itself, their yellow eyes shining in the darkness that covered his precious world.

 

But it had been an impossible battle to win, and had it not been for his master dragging him with her to the other world he would have perished too. The last thing he saw of his world was it crumbling into the darkness and with it his parents, engulfed in darkness, screaming and crying as they reached out to him with their arms. Eraqus had tried to reach out into the black abyss to grab his mothers’ hand, but it had been too late; there was nothing there to grab on to. He still had nightmares about it occasionally, and no matter how much he tried to get some sleep afterward his body would not rest, and he would be forced to spend the night awake.

 

At those times he would reach out to his bedside table where he always kept a few fairytale books, some old and some that were new. Sometimes he borrowed old books from the library, sometimes he bought new. It mattered not if they were the best, most exciting or well written stories in the world. What mattered was that they were there, in his room, where he could escape into their world when the reality he was living in was too much, too cruel for him to bear.  

 

Over the course of the past month he had sometimes thought about asking Xehanort if he knew about any fairytale stories. The thought often struck him when they were sitting in the library playing chess. He imagined that Xehanort knew at least a few fairy tale stories, but he rarely divulged in his own past, let alone his parents. Eraqus feared that bringing up such a topic might be treading onto sensitive grounds, emotionally speaking. Not that he himself didn’t have sensitive topics he would rather not talk about. His past experiences had left him with quite a few, and he was experiencing them once again in his room on a cold, rainy night.

 

Each crack of thunder and flash of lightning outside the window in his room in the tower of Scala ad Caelum had Eraqus flinching sharply in his bed, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. The sound of raindrops that violently splattered across the glass window as hard as pebbles constantly echoed throughout the dark room. The sound was relentless, and no matter how firmly Eraqus pressed his shaking and trembling hands over his ears, he could not keep the sounds away or dampen them. The wind howled and raged outside like a storm, shaking the glass of his window so often and so violently that Eraqus feared that the window would be ripped open and that he would be sucked out into the cold, dark night, never to be seen or heard from again.

 

Even his best efforts to shut out the noise of the storm, cowering in the darkness under the large white sheet of his bed, was doing little to help him remain calm. His body had already begun to cramp from a mix of tension and awkward positioning in his bed. His arms were raised to press his hands over his ears and his legs were raised upward and squeezed together, all while his heart was beating tremendously fast inside his chest like a drum.

 

Another flash of lightning and a deafening boom outside his window shook the glass of his window and ripped a whimper straight from his trembling and sweaty throat, and Eraqus felt how his face was starting to feel hot and sticky from the tears that had fallen down his cheeks.

 

Despite how many times he had been through storms like these he could never get used to them. Ever since his world had been swallowed by darkness, when a dark storm of black clouds had appeared and ripped everything to pieces before swallowing it, Eraqus had never been able to stomach storms. There were too many bad memories that were brought up onto the surface, too much pain for him to handle by himself. Eraqus took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down the best he could. He removed his hands from his ears, which by now were red and sensitive from being pressed too tightly against his head by his sweaty palms. Eraqus began to slowly grasp the hem of his white bed sheet, pulling it ever so slowly down from his head. He turned his head towards the window and opened his eyes to stare at it, watching the small gap between the white curtains hanging in front of his window.

 

Suddenly another burst of light filled the room again, but unlike before, it seemed to Eraqus that something was blocking the light this time as it hadn’t flickered through the gap. As the sound of thunder boomed outside, he blinked a few times and tried to focus his gaze on the gap, trying to see whatever it was that blocked the light from entering. It was once again dark in the room, with the sound of the raindrops hitting the window. Eraqus felt his heartbeat speed up again as he waited anxiously for the next burst of light to come.

 

When the next crack of thunder and lightning finally came Eraqus felt his heart stop in his chest, as for a split second he saw a small, dark creature outside his window, with two large yellow orbs for eyes. Eraqus quickly shut his eyes tightly and pulled the sheet over his head, curling up as he let out a frightened sob as he hid from the world. The muffling sounds of thunder and rain could still be heard, even under the sheet as Eraqus tried to get his erratic breathing and heartbeat under control. He took deep breaths, trying his best to tell himself that he was merely seeing things.

 

He hated the darkness, but even more than that he hated himself for being afraid of it. He was an adult now, not a kid anymore; he was not supposed to be afraid of the darkness, nor try to run away from it. He was supposed to destroy it, as was the duty of all keyblade wielders. However, no matter how much he tried to be brave he always felt a sting of fear inside himself when moments like these occurred, when he was bathed in total darkness and alone.

 

When Eraqus felt somewhat calmer, his heartbeat steady and breathing more even than before, he pulled down the sheet once again and looked towards the gap in the window. Nothing. There was nothing there anymore, and Eraqus was left wondering if it had been a hallucination, his mind playing tricks on him, or if the creature of darkness really had been outside his window, staring at him with those yellow eyes. As his mind began speculating about what he had seen or not seen his heartbeat picked up once again and Eraqus felt that something had to be done.

 

He could not sleep like this, not in this room when it was so dark. He needed light to see what lurked in the darkness. He usually slept with a small light on, enough to keep the room lit enough that he could see every nook and cranny where monsters might be hiding. Unfortunately for him his nightlight that he usually put on had run out of charged batteries, and he had no more in his room that could replace them with. If he turned on the large lamp it would be too bright, and he would not be able to sleep.

 

Feeling eyes on him yet again, Eraqus struggled not to stiffen, clenching his jaw slightly as he sat still in his bed, his pulse rapidly increasing and his heart beating faster. He was grabbing onto the hem of the white bed sheet so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

 

It felt as if the surrounding darkness in the room was closing in on him, inching closer and closer to swallow him whole and devour him, just like what had happened to his home world. In a split-second decision Eraqus flung the sheets off from him and his bed, tossing them aside and jumping down onto the cold floor. He moved quickly across the creaky floor panels, moving towards his wooden door. He opened it as fast as he could and moved outside into the corridor, closing his door behind him as quietly as he could muster, thinking of the lucky ones who could sleep through such terrible weather. Eraqus stood still for a moment, his right hands warm palm resting against the cool, smooth wood on his door. For a moment he simply stood there, his breath becoming quieter and quieter, until the only sound he could hear was the faint sound of the rain hitting the windows in the corridor.

 

Eraquss’ right hand slowly slid down the door as his left hand fidgeted at his other side, closing and opening. He blinked a few times trying to form a coherent thought of what he had done and what he should do. It was in the middle of the night, with most doors around the castle locked. He could either go back into his own room once again or wander around the castle aimlessly for hours until dawn broke. Eraqus gnawed on his lower lip, unsure of what to do as neither option seemed better than the other. A small sound suddenly echoed throughout the hall, a sound different from the raindrops hitting the glass windows. Eraquss’ head jerked to the side to see the source of the sound, but he saw nothing. His heart begun to pump harder and faster, and before he knew it, he walked as fast as his legs would carry him away from the sound, across the corridor with no clear destination in mind.

 

 

Delicate whispers of sounds followed him as he quietly made his way down the dark corridor, the soft sounds of the rain barely drowning out the sound of his feet padding across the floor. The sounds still lurked behind him, and Eraqus was certain that they were made from the creatures that only he seemed to ever see in the castle. Eraqus had long since learned to stay silent about the things he saw and heard at night in the castle. The other students didn’t see nor hear the things he did. Eraqus took a nervous glance behind himself into the dark corridor. Seeing and hearing nothing but his own heart pounding loudly in his chest he looked ahead in front of him, focusing on getting to his destination as fast as his legs would carry him. But where was he going? His feet moved as if they knew the way they were heading, and at this point Eraqus was simply going along for the ride, happy to be moving away from the creatures he thought were following him.

 

Keeping his breathing under control the best he could, he kept moving slowly, each step carefully chosen as he tried not to make a sound, not wishing to draw attention to the fact that he had gotten out of his room at night once again. The first time it had happened the master had not been too pleased with him. He had tried to explain what he had seen, but she had simply stated that the creatures he described did not reside in this world. While Eraqus wanted to believe his masters word, doubt gnawed inside him as he swore that he had seen them in the darkness. They had showed up in his home world, so why was it so difficult to imagine that they would show up here?

 

Distantly, he could hear the clock moving high up in the tower. As he moved through the corridor the faint flickering from the lights on the walls were the only source of light for him. Hopefully, that light would keep the darkness at bay and away from him. Suddenly realizing where he was heading, Eraqus pursed his lips as the door he had been walking towards all along was in sight.

 

He heard another sound behind him, akin to rats scuttling beneath a table in the kitchen. But Eraqus knew it wasn’t rats. It couldn’t be. However, he was not about to go and find out if he was right or not. Heart racing in his chest, Eraqus dared not pause for even a moment, almost running through the corridor, eyes firmly focused on his goal.

 

Eraqus clutched his light gray night gown closer to his chest with his right hand as he slowed his pace and padded carefully across the floor. Eventually he was close enough to the door that he had been walking towards that he could reach out with his left hand and clutch the cold brass of the door handle. Eraqus stood still for a moment in the corridor outside the door, his left hand resting on the door handle.

 

His eyes shifted, from the handle of the door to the right and left side corridor. For a moment he contemplated his actions. Perhaps it was better if he went back to his room, if he simply crawled under the sheet and closed his eyes, he might eventually fall asleep… Probably. Before Eraqus could ponder any more, he heard another sound and suddenly any idea of moving through the dark corridor again was out of the question. Eraqus looked at the door in front of him and released his grip on the handle to knock on the wood of the door. He immediately regretted his decision, but his feet would not move from the spot.

 

Eraqus could faintly hear a muffled sound from behind the door, and after what felt like an eternity waiting in the dark corridor the handle on the door turned, with the door slowly opening. Grey eyes met silver ones as Eraqus stared at Xehanort, whose eyes were still somewhat squinted from just waking up. Eraqus felt incredibly awkward standing in front of him in the middle of the night, but he mustered enough courage to speak to him.

 

“May I come in?”

 

Xehanorts’ mouth had been opened before Eraqus cut him off with his request, and now he closed it, staring at Eraqus in silence, holding onto the frame of the door with his right hand.

 

“Please.”

 

Eraqus tried not to sound desperate, but the shakiness of his voice and the urgency of how he uttered the word betrayed him. Xehanort met his gaze before he gave a small nod and stepped aside, giving Eraqus room to pass through the door. Eraqus felt a wave of relief wash over him as he scurried inside the room, with Xehanort softly closing the door behind him after he had checked to corridor to see if anyone had been following Eraqus.

 

Eraqus was now standing in Xehanorts’ room, calming his nerves while his mind raced to find an appropriate excuse as to why he had awakened his friend at this hour. The room was like his own, save for the fact that it lacked close to any personal belongings. The only indication that someone was residing in the room was a large white book on the nightstand. Eraqus stared at the book for a moment, his fingers rubbing against each other as he tried to get his thoughts in order.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Eraqus snapped out his daze as he turned his head back to where Xehanort was standing. His voice had been low, and Eraqus had not missed the concerned tone in his voice. Eraqus turned around to face his friend and gave him a weak smile.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

He tried to keep his voice even, but it came out as rushed, and it was obvious judging by Xehanorts facial expression that he did not believe him for a second.

 

“Doesn’t sound like it to me.”

 

Xehanort moved forward, taking three strides to close the gap between the two of them. Eraqus suddenly felt very self-conscious under the gaze of his best friend, averting his eyes when Xehanort looked at him. They stood in silence for a moment, Eraqus slightly wagging and shifting his stance as his mind tried to find the right words. As he looked down, he saw Xehanort gently grab his wrists with his hands, his rough yet warm hands squeezing them slightly. Eraqus raised his eyes and met Xehanorts in a deep gaze that made him momentarily forget what he was going to say.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

Xehanort murmured the words as he searched Eraquss’ eyes for an answer, and Eraqus opened his mouth and closed it, not knowing what to say. Because what could he say that would justify running over to his friends’ room in the middle of the night?

 

“Nothing happened, I just…”

 

Eraqus let the words linger for a moment, hanging in the air while Xehanort released his wrist and waited patiently for him to answer.

 

“I needed to see you.”

 

Eraqus did not know why he had said that, and as soon as he saw Xehanorts eyes momentarily widened he felt panic inside his chest as he scrambled to find the right words.

 

“I couldn’t sleep so I came to see you.”

 

Xehanort raised an eyebrow, staring at Eraqus before he went over to the edge of his bed and sat down, patting the space next to him with his right hand. Eraqus took the invitation and sat down gently on the bed, eyes focused on his clutched hands.

 

“What was so important that you couldn’t sleep?”

 

Xehanort spoke in a calm and even tone, no hint of annoyance or anger at Eraqus for waking him up, just worried what was on his friends’ mind. Eraqus licked his dry lips as he tried to think of what to say, but when he did not respond Xehanort chose to speak.

 

“Is it about the final day?”

 

Xehanort emphasized the final word and Eraqus pursed his lips as he glanced at Xehanort. The final day. The last day that Xehanort would wake up in Scala ad Caelum if he did not learn how to summon his own keyblade. The day that would soon be upon the two of them.

 

“We haven’t really… Talked about if…”

 

Eraqus trailed off, not finishing the sentence or perhaps not daring to. They both knew that Xehanort had not been able to summon a keyblade as of yet, and time was running out.

 

“I will be fine. I just need more practice, that’s all.”

 

Xehanort grumbled the words as he laid down on the bed, folding his arms behind his head. He lied down in silence, staring up at the ceiling. Eraqus briefly looked at him and then the wall ahead of the bed.

 

“And if it’s not enough?”

 

Eraqus let the words slip out between his lips, staring silently at the wall in front of him, afraid of what might happen if he dared to look back. The room was now silent, too silent for Eraquss’ comfort. Before, in his own room, it had been too loud. But now that he had calmed down, he was suddenly aware of how quiet it was in Xehanorts room; His room was in a different part of the tower where the rain did not splatter against the glass window. The thunder was barely audible as well, making the room an ideal place for a good night’s rest during the passing storm.

 

“Do you want to sleep here tonight?”

 

Xehanort spoke the words nonchalantly, staring briefly at Eraquss’ back as he sat on the edge of the bed. Eraqus perked up and turned his head to his left side where he could see Xehanort.

 

“What?”

 

Eraqus tried to sound casual, but the words came out a bit too forcefully and hastily for anything that he had intended to come across to Xehanort. In response to his question Xehanort looked at Eraqus as he was lying on the bed with his arms folded behind his head.

 

“I said that you could sleep here tonight… If you want to that is.”

 

Eraqus offered an awkward smile in response, scratching the back of his head with his right hand as he looked at Xehanort.

 

“What makes you think that?”

 

Xehanort did not respond, he merely studied Eraquss’ face, his gaze drilling into Eraquss’ eyes with such an intensity that he had to look away, unsure of what to do or say.

 

“I could see it in your eyes.”

 

Eraqus scrunched his face up momentarily, trying to understand Xehanorts’ statement.

 

“My eyes?”

 

Xehanort nodded, sitting up in the bed as he turned his head to his right so he could look at Eraqus.

 

“Your lips can lie, but not your eyes. It’s just like when I first met you, at the beach… Your eyes told the truth.”

 

Xehanort almost whispered the last words, and Eraqus felt as if something had gotten stuck in his throat, his cheeks heating up as he was unable to tear his gaze away from Xehanorts’. He tried to think of an appropiate response when a thought entered his mind and slipped out past his lips.

 

“My mother… Used to say that the eyes were the windows of the soul…”

 

Eraqus mumbled the words, unsure of why he had mentioned his mother so suddenly. Mentioning her made him remember moments that he and his mother had spent together. The memories made him sad, but also happy. It was a strange feeling overall, and a bit overwhelming and awkward to have right in front of his best friend.

 

“Sounds like your mom is a wise woman.”

 

Xehanort smiled as he spoke before his expression became more serious.

 

“I know there is another reason you came here.”

 

Eraqus bit his lower lip slightly, choosing not to answer. Xehanort searched his eyes for an answer for a brief moment, before he closed his eyes and let out a small sigh.

 

“I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. My offer still stands though; you can sleep here if you want. My beds big enough for two.”

 

And with that Xehanort offered a small smile before he stood up and turned around, walking towards the upper part of his bed and tucking himself in. As Xehanort walked away, Eraqus couldn’t help but feel sad that neither of them had been able to talk about what they felt. Xehanort would not talk about the final day, and Eraqus would not talk about his past or his fears. He shook his head, trying to empty himself of such thoughts. He turned his attention to Xehanort, who was lying in his bed with his arms folded behind his head.

 

“You’re going to bed?”

 

Xehanort scoffed as he opened his eyes briefly to look at Eraqus before he closed them again.

 

“Its in the middle of the night. It’s what I, and frankly you for that matter, should do.”

 

Eraqus chuckled at Xehanorts small lecture before he looked at where the door was. He could leave, walk back to his room. But for some reason he felt drawn to the room he was in, to the offer that Xehanort had made him without question. Eraqus glanced at his best friend, who did not seem bothered in the least by his presence. He mulled over what to do for a moment, sitting silently on the edge of the bed. Then, after a while, he stood up with determination.

 

Unbeknownst to Eraqus, Xehanort had peeked one eye open as he lied silently in his bed, watching Eraqus to see what he would do. Eraqus walked toward the door, his right hand reaching for the door handle. He stood there silently for a moment, unmoving as if he had frozen in his place. Then, in a whispering tone that Xehanort almost couldn’t hear, Eraqus mumbled;

 

“Are sure it’s alright that I stay here?”

 

Eraqus was almost afraid to hear the answer to his question, but without pause or hesitation, Xehanort responded calmly.

 

“You are always welcome here.”

 

Eraqus felt his breath hitch at the declaration his best friend had made, and he felt his hand shake slightly as it now hovered over the handle. He looked up at the door and then glanced back at Xehanort, who was still lying in his bed, eyes closed. The room became quiet for a moment, the only sound either one of them could hear was their own breathing and hearts beating. Eraqus closed his eyes for a moment, letting the darkness fall over him. Then, he turned around and went to the other side of the bed and laid down, pulling the covers over him.

 

Xehanort said nothing, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he felt the weight of his friend come down onto the bed. Eraqus turned his head to his left to look at Xehanort, who had his eyes closed.

 

“Just for tonight.”

 

Eraqus made sure that it was made clear between the two of them, waiting for a response from Xehanort.

 

“Just for tonight.”

 

Xehanort replied with same words, although with a hint of amusement as he smiled to himself.

 

The two of them settled down, sighing as they adjusted themselves in the large bed. The bed was practically made for two, even having two pillows. It was just as comfortable as the one Eraqus slept in every night. Eraqus could not sleep however; this was not the first time that he had woken in the middle of the night, and he always had trouble sleeping after he had awoken. In truth he didn’t want to sleep and would rather talk than lie awake in the darkness, but it seemed rude to Xehanort who had been so kind as to invite him in and even allow him to sleep in his bed.

 

Eraqus fidgeted for a moment, looking over at Xehanort who noticed that he was moving around a bit too much. Xehanort let out a small sigh through his nose, but he didn’t open his eyes.

 

“Is there something you need to get off your chest?”

 

Eraqus tried to act innocent, averting his eyes from Xehanort as if the other would open them any second.

 

“What, me?”

 

Xehanort sighed again.

 

“No, the lamp on the wall. Yes, you. Come on, get it out already.”

 

Eraqus bit his lower lip for a moment before he turned over to his left side, now staring directly at Xehanort.

 

“I just… I hope I didn’t interrupt your reading.”

 

Xehanort peeked his right eye open and glanced over at Eraqus.

 

“My what?”

 

Eraqus licked his lips that had gone dry, shifting his position in the bed slightly so that he lied more comfortably. He didn’t want to talk about his past, but he did want to talk. So he came up with an excuse to do so.

 

“Your reading. I saw that you had a book next to your bed.”

 

Xehanort looked at Eraqus for a moment before his mouth opened slightly, understanding what Eraqus was referring to.

 

“Oh, I was not reading that when you knocked on the door. I borrowed it a while back to read, but these days I don’t have much time left for reading.”

 

The words carried a sad meaning to them, but Eraqus pushed those thoughts out of his head and continued the conversation.

 

“Oh, I thought you were reading a bedtime story.”

 

Xehanort cocked one eyebrow up as he looked at Eraqus with an amused smile.

 

“A bedtime story?”

 

“You know, a story. To read by your bed.”

 

Xehanort scoffed as he turned his body over to his right side to look at Eraqus.

 

“I know what a bedtime story is Eraqus. And by your logic any book would be a bedtime story if read in close proximity to a bed.”

 

Eraqus pondered over what his friend had said for a moment before he replied.

 

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

 

Xehanort smirked as he glanced over at Eraqus before he spoke.

 

“Figured as much.”

 

“Hey!”

 

Eraqus smacked Xehanort playfully with his left hand, at which Xehanort merely laughed and soon enough Eraqus laughed as well. Their laughter rang out in the room for a moment, which then ebbed out in a small chuckle between the two of them.

 

Xehanort leaned over to his left side and grabbed the large book with both of his hands, putting it on Eraquss’ lap. He then turned on the bedside lamp to shed some light on them.

 

“This is the book that I borrowed.”

 

Eraqus blinked a few times, adjusting to the light and the heavy weight on his chest. Using both hands he grabbed the book and lifted it upwards so that he could properly read the title.

 

“The history of the Keyblade… Volume one.”

 

Eraqus was quiet for a moment, his left hands thumb stroking the spine of the book slightly.

 

“I thought it might help.”

 

Eraqus glanced over at Xehanort who stared at the symbol of a key that was carved into the cover of the large white book, a forlorn look in his eyes.

 

“But it proved as helpful as all the other efforts I’ve put in so far.”

 

Xehanorts’ tone was somber, and Eraqus felt that he needed change the topic.

 

“Well it’s definitively not something I would read before bed, that’s for sure.”

 

Eraqus tried to make it sound as lighthearted as he could, not wishing to insult how his friend felt at the moment. Eraqus passed the book back to Xehanort, who took it and held it for a brief moment before he put it down on the bedside table. Xehanort looked back at Eraqus.

 

“And what, pray tell, would you be reading?”

 

Eraqus looked at Xehanort, who was now facing him once again. He hummed for a moment, trying to think of what to say.

 

“Well, usually a fairytale.”

 

Xehanorts’ eyes widened for a moment, before he burst out laughing, causing Eraqus to momentarily jolt in the bed from the strong reaction.

 

“A fairytale? That’s what you read before bed?”

 

Eraqus felt his face heat up somewhat, the sight of his grinning friend not helping at all, and he tried to get out a witty response, but it did not come across as such;

 

“It’s for research purposes!”

 

Xehanort was still grinning, but his laughter had subsided by this point. With his right hands index finger, he dried a tear that was in the corner of his left eye.

 

“And what kind of research would that be?”

 

Eraqus merely made a “humpf” sound and turned his body back so he was laying on his back.

 

“Forget it.”

 

Xehanort, still smiling, propped himself up on his elbows and nudged Eraqus with his left hand.

 

“Hey, come on. I was just joking, tell me why.”

 

Eraqus kept his eyes closed and pretended that he couldn’t hear or feel his friend touching him. Eventually the nudging stopped, and he could hear Xehanort let out a sigh.

 

“I wouldn’t actually mind hearing about what fairy tales you grew up with actually. It could be interesting to compare.”

 

Eraqus perked up at that remark, his attention now piqued.

 

“Compare?”

 

Unable to ignore his friend, Eraqus opened his eyes and turned his head to his left so he could see Xehanort.

 

“Yeah, compare and see if we both know the same ones. We grew up in different worlds, right? Wouldn’t that mean that we have different fairy tales?”

 

Eraqus opened his mouth slightly before he contemplated on what Xehanort had proposed.

 

“That might actually be true… I had never really thought about that before to be honest.”

 

Xehanort hummed in response, his fingers intertwined on top of his stomach as he looked up into the ceiling.

 

“In all honesty I can’t remember that many fairy tales…”

 

“None?”

 

Xehanort shrugged as he looked over at Eraqus.

 

“I guess they never caught my interest too much, they were just fairy tales after all.”

 

“But I thought you wanted to explore other worlds? Wouldn’t fairy tales be the perfect kind of books for you?”

 

Xehanort gave a half-hearted smile to Eraqus.

 

“Stories about real people and places interests me, talking animals that go on adventures and learn life lessons do not… At least not to the same extent.”

 

Eraqus was quiet for a moment as the words sunk in, and then he decided to ask something that he had meant to ask for a while.

 

“Did your parents read you any fairy tales when you were young?”

 

Xehanort smile faded somewhat, and he looked away for a moment before he replied.

 

“My father never read me any stories, and my mother rarely read stories to me, at least not any that I can remember.”

 

It became quiet between them, and Eraqus could sense that there was a rift between his friend and his parents. Xehanort never really talked about them, and as far as Eraqus knew he had not informed them of where he was at all. A part of him wanted to tell Xehanort that he should appreciate his family more. And yet, he also knew that all parents were not as kind as his had been to him. After Xehanort had shouted out that he was his best friend, and Eraqus had confessed as well, the two of them had grown closer than before. They talked the same as before, but it was as if an invisible barrier between the two had been lifted as they had both acknowledged each other. They were closer to each other than anyone else, and Eraqus did not want to ruin that by sticking his nose where it did not belong.

 

Still, Xehanort parents were alive and Eraqus felt that his friend should make amends with them, especially when he had been gone from his home for almost a month. But it was rare for them to talk about their pasts, and more often than not it would be about casual and trivial things, nothing too personal. If it did become too personal Xehanort would usually go quiet, or Eraqus would try to avoid the topic all together, like what had happened when he entered the room.

 

How much time would pass before they got to know more about each other? Eraqus could not say, and a part of him did not want to know, fearing the answer that would reveal itself in a few days when Xehanort would either be sent home or stay. Trying to break the silence Eraqus decided to change the topic somewhat.

 

“You might not care much for fairy tales, but you know that there is a grain of truth to every story, right? The ones I read before sleeping come from actual worlds.”

 

Xehanort face became slightly contorted for a moment as he processed what had been said.

 

“Wait, actual worlds? Like mine? Then they’re not fairy tales, are they? Just history books?”

 

“I guess, but we call them fairy tales.”

 

“Well that doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“Neither does the fact that a small star piece can transport you to other worlds… But here you are.”

 

Eraqus smiled as he uttered the last part, and Xehanort huffed in response to his quipping.

 

“I’m just saying, its illogical.”  

 

“I don’t make the rules Xehanort.”

 

“Are you sure? I could have sworn you do that when we play chess…”

 

It was now Xehanort who grinned, and Eraqus, though he acted surprised at first, began giggling slightly at his friends’ remark.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Oh, I think you do.”

 

“That’s preposterous and ludicrous, I would never dream of doing such a thing!”

 

They both chuckled in the bed, smiling as they teased each other. It had been too long since they shared a moment like this, when they could both just enjoy each other’s company and not think about anything else. Eraqus played with the hem of the bed sheet for a moment, focusing his gaze on his fingers.

 

“I could tell you about some of the ones I know, if you want to that is.”

 

Xehanort looked at Eraqus, his expression now turned into an amused one.

 

“Will these be actual stories, or will you just make them up and try to convince me that they’re real? You know, like your chess rules?”

 

Eraqus was quiet for a moment before he smiled and chuckled, at which Xehanort did as well. Eventually the room grew a bit quieter once again, and when Xehanorts’ last chuckle turned into an audible and drawn out yawn, Eraqus knew that he needed to let his friend rest. After yawning himself and offering his friend a small smile he spoke up.

 

“I guess it’s about time to sleep?”

 

Xehanort smiled and chuckled at his friends remark.

 

“It was about time for that four hours ago, but I suppose it’s better late than never?”

 

Eraqus smiled and scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit abashed at the fact that he had actually ran over to his friends’ room in the middle of the night, like a kid that had had a nightmare. Xehanort turned to his left side and turned off the lamp, letting out a sigh as he settled down into a comfortable position in the bed, dragging the sheet over himself.

 

“Goodnight Eraqus.”

 

Eraqus settled down into the bed as well, moving his limbs into a comfortable position.

 

“Goodnight Xehanort. Sleep well.”

 

Eraqus could heart the small snort coming out of Xehanorts’ nose at his comment as his right eye opened slightly to look at Eraqus.

 

“Oh, I’ll try my best.”

 

The two of them chuckled and smiled at each other one last time before they closed their eyes, settling into the bed and lying still so that sleep would come to them. Eraqus could not sleep yet however, and so he lied awake for a few minutes, staring up into the ceiling while he listened to Xehanorts’ breathing. It was strangely relaxing, but not enough for him to fall asleep on the spot. What kept him awake was his mind, as it more often than did during nights like these.

 

But while usually his thoughts would be on the terrible things he had seen, or not seen according to his master, his mind was now occupied with… Xehanort.

 

Eraqus turned his head to his left, staring at Xehanort who was sleeping quietly next to him, his chest slowly falling and rising each time he inhaled and exhaled. Why had he walked to Xehanorts’ room specifically? Eraqus knew that they were friends… Well best friends actually, but a part of him felt that it was something more than that between them. Would a best friend let his best friend sleep in his bed? Or even let him into his room in the middle of the night to talk? Eraqus supposed that close friends did that, but he had no other relationships to compare this one with.

 

Still, something gnawed inside of him, a small voice whispering in his ear telling him that he felt and cared more for Xehanort than was within reason for a best friend. Eraqus sighed and stared up at the ceiling once again, pondering over what to do. A part of him wanted to tell someone about what he felt, preferably his master. But another part wondered if he was simply overreacting, imagining things when there was nothing there, like the creatures he sometimes saw. Then again… those creatures did exist. So maybe what he felt in his chest was real too?

 

But even if it was… Would it matter? If Xehanort could not do the impossible before the final day, he would be gone… Along with any hope Eraqus had of getting closer to him. And if they could eventually meet up again, would Xehanort had found another? Or perhaps he did not feel the same as Eraqus did?

 

Eraqus sighed, closing his eyes and allowing the darkness completely to envelop him. Was it worth acting on his emotions? Did he really feel something for his best friend? Or was it something his mind had made up? Was it the final day approaching that made him more insistent to be close to his best friend? The threat of departure? A goodbye that would mean the end of the friendship they had forged together?

 

If Xehanort left he would be alone again… Alone in his room with those creatures with yellow eyes clawing at his window… Eraqus shuddered in the bed and felt a small sting of panic strike him, his mind now flooded by the unwanted images and sounds of those horrible creatures. The sound of them crawling across the floor, the scratching sound of their black claws… And the bottomless yellow eyes that lacked pupils. Eraqus shuddered once again, and with his eyes still closed, moved the fingers on his left hand, the one that was between him and Xehanort.

 

He reached out, slowly, across and under the soft sheet of the bed with his slightly trembling left hand. When Eraqus felt his hand meet Xehanorts’ he stopped for a brief moment, to see if Xehanort would react. Eraqus held his breath and could feel his heart pumping faster and harder, his cheeks heating up at the small touch.

 

A few seconds that felt like an eternity passed, but Xehanort did not remove his hand from where it was. When Eraqus realized that he would not move his hand, Eraqus slowly intertwined his little finger with Xehanorts’ and held his breath. Nothing happened, and Eraqus felt happy that Xehanort had not pulled away his hand. Whether it was because he was asleep or did not mind the touch he did not know, but he would like to think it was the latter.

 

It was not much, having his little finger intertwined with Xehanorts’, but it was enough to comfort Eraqus as it meant that he was not alone in the dark room. It was a reassurance that there was someone else there, someone else in the darkness that he could reach out and touch, to hold on to. A warm hand that would keep him safe from the world when it all fell apart. A friend.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors 2nd note:
> 
> Well, it's finally here. After months on ice due to exams and work, the chapter is completed! At this point I am sure that the hype for this ship and story has toned down a lot, so these chapters will most likely be more for myself I suppose. Still, if you've read all the way through I would really appreciate a comment, long or short, telling me what you thought of the chapters and if you want to read more of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Authors note: I hope you enjoyed reading my story; I plan to continue with it for more fluff and smut, but as it is now this is all I have. Future chapter will most likely focus on how the relationship between Eraqus and Xehanort develops from friends to best friends to lovers.
> 
> If you want more chapters, please let me know by commenting and telling me what you thought of my story!


End file.
